Updates from Ottawa Public Health
Weekly Snapshot and Dashboard
Our weekly Respiratory Virus Snapshots are shared through OPH’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels and posted on our main COVID-19 website at OttawaPublicHealth.ca/coronavirus. Check out the dashboard displaying information about respiratory virus activity: www.OttawaPublicHealth.ca/FluReport
Key Takeaways
While our indicators are indeed showing a decrease since last week, which is encouraging, there are still high levels of respiratory viruses circulating in the community. Please visit our dashboard for more detailed data: OttawaPublicHealth.ca/FluReport
Every layer of protection matters, especially during these cold winter months. And every action helps reduce the risks of these viruses continuing to spread. It all still matters.
Every single person who wears a high quality, well-fitted mask in public settings makes a difference. Every person who stays home when sick, every person who gets their flu vaccine, every person who gets their bivalent COVID-19 booster(s)…they all make a difference.
While we’re on that, we’d like to acknowledge & thank every single one of the hundreds of thousands of Ottawa residents who’ve come out to receive their COVID-19 booster dose(s). Thank you for helping to protect each other.
If you have questions about eligibility or intervals for flu or COVID-19 vaccines, or about COVID-19 treatment options, you can find answers on our website OttawaPublicHealth.ca, or you can call us at 613-580-6744 & one of our wonderful nurses would be happy to chat with you.
National Non-Smoking Week January 15 to 21
This week (January 15-21) marks the 46th annual celebration of National Non-Smoking Week (NNSW), which provides an opportunity to encourage people who smoke to consider joining thousands of others as they take their first steps to becoming smoke-free. Counselling and medication, such as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) like the patch, is the best support we can recommend to anyone trying to quit. Here are a few services and supports that Ottawa Public Health recommends:
Telehealth Ontario provides no cost and confidential smoking cessation service 24 hours, seven days a week. For help to quit smoking, residents can call Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.
Residents can also sign-up online and get free NRT patches and gum mailed to them by joining STOP on the Net | Nicotine Dependence Services (nicotinedependenceclinic.com) or the Community Program | Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation (ottawaheart.ca) by calling 1-888-645-5405 or by emailing omsc@ottawaheart.ca.
For OHIP covered tailored quit plans and one-on-one support in a nurse led clinic, residents can register with the Quit Smoking Program by calling 613-696-7069 or emailing quitsmoking@ottawaheart.ca
Your neighbourhood Community Health Centre (CHC) and many Family Health Teams (FHT) in the community also offer quit smoking counselling and/or no cost nicotine replacement therapy; while doctors, nurse practitioners and pharmacists can prescribe quit smoking medications.
What about vaping as a cessation aid?
There is a lack of evidence that using vapour products as a smoking cessation aid is effective. If a person does decide to use vaping products to quit smoking, counselling can help. They can reach out to one of the services listed above.
For more information about other resources to help Ottawa residents quit smoking, please visit Ottawa Public Health’s website at www.ottawapublichealth.ca/quitsmoking.