As most counties and regions lift public health measures for COVID-19, Canadians are left to assess their own level of risk amid sixth-wave indications.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Public Health Officer, said last month that it is important to consider the amount of COVID-19 in your community and the activity you undertake.
“Is it outside? Is it inside? Is it crowded? Who will I be with?”
Tam said it is also important to consider your personal health and whether you are close to people at higher risk, such as elderly parents or unvaccinated children.
Here are five ways to reduce the risk:
Masks
Quebec and Prince Edward Island are the only two provinces to extend their mask orders until the end of the month.
“Masks matter,” PEI Public Health Officer Dr.  Heather Morrison.  “The masks will be one of the last steps to be taken.”
Other provinces have resisted calls to reintroduce restrictions on public health, including mask orders.
Tam noted that it is now a personal choice in most provinces.
“Think about who you are with and maybe you are at greater risk – so having this interest in others.”
Vaccination
Vaccination rates vary across the country, but research has shown that vaccines can help reduce serious outcomes.
Some experts said this week they were concerned that government messages about the current state of the pandemic could affect the intake of additional doses.
Eligibility for fourth installments is being extended to some provinces after the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended that people aged 70 and over receive a second booster.
“It’s hard to get people to take supplements when they want to believe it does,” said Dr. Kelly Grindront, an associate professor in the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy.
“And the question is, do we have to continue to live in disaster levels to keep people committed enough to protect themselves?”
Online tools
More than a million people have turned to an electronic calculator created to help Canadians manage COVID-19 risk.
My Covid-19 Visit Risk Decision Aid, which is free online, was first created during the second wave of COVID-19 in the fall of 2020.
“People are starting to ask these questions,” said Dr. Samir Sinha, director of health policy research at the National Institute on Aging.  “Is it safe to visit with others? Are there safer ways to visit with others?”
Sinha said the institute turned it into a three-minute risk computer in the spring of 2021.
The tool, he said, can be a valuable resource as people navigate what appears to be a sixth wave with few restrictions.
“We do not guarantee anyone a safe, personal visit,” Xinha said.  “It simply came to our notice then.
“It is about providing education and tools to the people.”
Sewage data
Many cities collect and distribute COVID-19 information to wastewater.
Kevin Frankowski, executive director of Advancing Canadian Water Assets at the University of Calgary, said it’s an information people need to keep in mind.
“There are significant advantages to wastewater monitoring,” he said.  “It is comprehensive. Everyone who uses the bathroom contributes to this signal, does not require the right testing policy or willingness to go for testing.
“It is also impartial. Sewage does not lie.”
But he said it was important to be careful with the data.  For example, he noted that sewage numbers were increasing as the number of hospitals in Alberta decreased.
“Both of these statements are correct,” he explained.  “One possible interpretation is that the severity of the disease continues to decline. The infection is still present but does not result in symptoms that make you go to the hospital.”
Frankowski said data should be used as a source for people to integrate it into their decisions.
“One of our co-leaders, Dr. Casey Hubert…, makes the analogy between the COVID detector and the weather forecast application,” he said, explaining that you can check both before going out.
“Do I need an umbrella? Do I need a mask?”
Stay home when you are sick
Most jurisdictions recommend staying home when you are sick.
In Alberta, for example, officials note that someone with COVID-19 can transmit the virus to others for up to 10 days.
“The risk of spreading to fully vaccinated people is lower after five days, but it still exists,” the provincial website said.
The site adds that isolation helps prevent the spread by reducing the number of people you could infect by staying home and avoiding others.
This Canadian Press report was first published on April 7, 2022
– with records from Mia Rabson in Ottawa and Nicole Thompson in Toronto