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3 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,M arch 18,2021 theifp.ca GET YOUR free MENU! 2894090050 | HeartToHomeMeals.ca Choose from hundreds of delicious food classics and new favourites - all with free delivery.* The delivered. "Good old days" Made for SENIORS! *Some conditions may apply. FULL-SERVICE RETIREMENT HOME Located on the cusp of the Hamlet of Glen Williams 222 Mountainview Road North, Georgetown 905-877-1800 www.mountainviewresidence.com Mountainview Residence by the Glen The only family owned & operated retirement home in Halton Hills. On-site activities to foster social, emotional, physical and mental wellbeing. Mountainview Residents are fully vaccinated, all are in good spirits We are growing with our community. Come see our new designs starting summer 2021! You've worked hard to enjoy retirement, now it's our pleasure to make this the best time of your life in a family, friendly atmosphere. Our residents enjoy social meals (variety of food choices), along with discrete personal care services to support daily well being. As Ontario emerges from the throes of CO- VID-19's second wave, a Halton Healthcare doctor cautions that a third wave is likely on the way in April. This was among the messages delivered by Dr. Ananda Ghosh, infectious diseases consultant and physician lead of quality and patient safety, during a Georgetown Hospital Foundation Town Hall meeting March 8. Ghosh said there are a couple factors that play in- to the risk of a third wave -- the easing of pandemic re- strictions, which provides more opportunities for the virus to spread, and the COVID-19 variants of con- cern that could see the seri- ous illness transmit more easily. "I think there is a possi- bility of a third wave com- ing," he said. "Do I think it will be larger than the sec- ond wave? I do not." The local doctor said he's hopeful that even if case numbers do rise again, vaccinating vulner- able populations now will help reduce the number of hospitalizations and deaths. And while there's been much talk about the efficacy of the various CO- VID-19 vaccines, Ghosh cautioned that this infor- mation is only looking at how many people went on to develop symptoms, and how many tested positive for the virus. He explained that it's al- so important to examine other aspects, such as how many people got sick enough that they had to go to the hospital. "On those fronts, it looks like all the vaccines have important effects and do provide good protection," he said. He noted that the best vaccine to receive "is the first one that's available to you. Having a vaccine is better than not being vacci- nated at all." Currently, the Pfizer vaccine is available in Hal- ton and is being used to im- munize those aged 80 and over at Halton Public Health clinics, along with other priority populations at the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. Ghosh said he expects that some of the Moderna vaccine will be allocated to the region soon, as well. When it comes to the variants of concern, Ghosh said to a certain degree, mutations of COVID-19 were expected as "this is what viruses do." "It's part of the reason we have to get a new flu shot every year. The flu vi- rus is always changing," he said. "We're watching this vi- rus (COVID-19) more close- ly than we've ever watched any other virus, so we are picking up these changes and we're giving them names and we're following them." For further details on vaccines, variants and case counts in Halton, visit hal- ton.ca/COVID19. NEWS THIRD COVID WAVE LIKELY: INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT MELANIE HENNESSEY mhennessey@ metroland.com Dr. Ananda Ghosh is the Infectious Diseases consultant and Physician Lead at Halton Healthcare's OTMH site. Graham Paine/Metroland