Seasonal Respiratory Illnesses

Updated October 5, 2026

Ontario’s Ministry of Health updated the Seasonal Respiratory Pathogen Guide
The areas of change for this season include establishing new immunization targets for health care workers, older adults, infants, and long-term care home residents to enhance protection against respiratory illness.
In the fall and winter seasons, the risk from influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and other respiratory pathogens is increased.
While the overall risk of COVID-19 has been diminished through factors such as increased immunity and high vaccination rates, with ever evolving new variants, COVID-19 continues to be a health risk and will contribute to seasonal surge.
RMTs/MTs cannot provide treatment to patients who should be self-isolating. If an RMT/MT or their patient have any symptoms of illness, they can complete the Ministry of Health’s online Self-Assessment Tool to determine if self-isolation is required.
More details will be shared in the future.

Risk assessments continue to be an essential part of providing safe and effective Massage Therapy care.

When conducting a risk assessment, RMTs/MTs should consider:

If the patient is experiencing any symptoms related to COVID-19 and/or Seasonal Respiratory Pathogens at the time of the appointment;
If the patient is supposed to be self-isolating at the time of an appointment;
If risks can be controlled through infection prevention and control (IPAC) measures and/or Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (e.g., masking); and,
Whether deferring in-person treatment might result in negative consequences for the patient.