New Brunswick reported two more COVID-19 deaths and about 63% of hospitalizations are piling up week after week, while an infectious disease researcher says about one in 52 of us is newly infected with the virus.
Intensive care unit admissions, COVID outbreaks and new cases also increased in the first week of October, according to the province’s respiratory surveillance report.
According to the report, two other seniors aged 65 and older died from COVID between Oct. 1 and Oct. 7.
The province replaced its definition of a COVID death last month with that of a proven case who was admitted to hospital and died while in hospital.
When asked at a recent news convention why New Brunswick is now treating COVID-19 from other diseases, such as cancer, by counting only deaths that occurred at the hospital, Dr. Yves Léger, the province’s acting deputy medical director for health, said: The previous approach was “very burdensome and resource-intensive” and led to delays of up to three months in some cases.
In the past, New Brunswick reported that COVID-19 deaths were those in which the virus was the leading cause of death or a direct contributing factor.
Asked if the update would distort the picture of what’s happening in the province, as many COVID deaths occur in retirement homes and other settings, Leger said the “vast majority” of COVID deaths occur in hospitals.
The death toll from the pandemic is no longer available, at least 946 New Brunswickers have died from COVID.
Another fifty-seven people were hospitalized with or with the virus the week of the report, compared with 35 last week.
Seven of those other people required intensive care, up from five previously.
Of those admitted to intensive care, one is between 20 and 44 years old, another between 45 and 64 years old and the other five are 65 years old or older, according to a chart.
The number of laboratory-confirmed outbreaks more than doubled, from nine to 20. That includes about nine nursing homes, one chart says, and “other facilities,” which may simply include adult residences and correctional facilities.
A total of 133 new cases of COVID-19 were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratory tests, up from 105 last week.
The positivity rate remained strong at 14 percent, according to the report.
CBC asked to speak with Dr. Jennifer Russell, the fitness medical director, or some other public fitness official, but said in an interview that it was “not possible. “
Last Friday, Russell submitted his resignation and candidacy for president-elect of the Canadian Medical Association. His last official day in Public Health will be Dec. 8, according to an internal memo received via CBC News.
New Brunswick’s COVID threat index for the Oct. 7-20 period is “severe” of 10, and about one in 52 people in the province is now infected, according to Tara Moriarty, an infectious disease researcher and co-founder of COVID-19 Resources Canada.
Severe is the six-point threat index point, calculated based on three similarly weighted categories: existing infections and spread, impact of the fitness formula, and mortality.
The national average is 12. 5, about one in 25 people are inflamed and infections arise about 12 per cent per week, Moriarty, an associate professor at the University of Toronto, posted Monday on social media.
Nova Scotia ranks first in the country with a score of 18. 4, while Prince Edward Island has the lowest score in the country at 6. 4.
Compared to the lowest numbers of the pandemic in Canada, COVID-19 infections in New Brunswick are about seven times higher, Moriarty said.
Hospitalizations are about 18 times higher, deaths are about six times higher and COVID is about two times higher, he said.
More than 800 New Brunswickers rolled up their sleeves Monday to receive a dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine that targets the circulating Omicron XBB. 1. 5 subvariant, according to the Department of Health.
Monday, the first day the new Moderna COVID vaccines were available in the province for others six months of age and older, if it’s been at least six months since their last COVID dose or infection.
There are 824 appointments scheduled for Moderna’s new Spikevax vaccine and 514 appointments scheduled for the flu shot, spokesman Sean Hatchard said.
The new Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccines are expected to arrive in late October or early November, the department said.
A total of 4,189 COVID XBB. 1. 5 vaccination appointments and 2,465 flu vaccination appointments have been booked for the fall season to date according to the government’s online planner, Hatchard said.
When asked how this participation rate compares to previous COVID-19 vaccination campaigns and what the public thinks about it, Hatchard didn’t answer directly, but noted that the numbers don’t match up with other people who would have possibly booked an appointment at a pharmacy. That’s not part of the program. The province’s online booking system.
Earlier this month, Leger said Public Health is concerned that fewer people are choosing to get vaccinated.
Protection wanes over time, so it’s vital that other eligible people get the dose, he said.
The vaccines are better suited to the COVID strains currently circulating in New Brunswick and are designed to offer greater coverage than previous vaccines, Leger added.
Hatchard said the government is tracking the vaccination rate and is also selling it through a marketing crusade and on its social media platforms.
Horizon Health Network has active COVID-19 patients as of Oct. 14, up from 66 last week, according to its COVID-19 dashboard.
Four other people require intensive care, compared to five.
Staff absences due to the virus increased by about 82% last week, from 33 to 60.
There are outbreaks of COVID-19 in thirteen Horizon hospital units. Include:
In anticipation of a surge in COVID-19 cases, Horizon has already announced a return to mask mandates in certain situations, adding if a regional hospital has two or more sets of outbreaks and a hospital in the network has one or more sets of outbreaks.
Vitalité continues to update its COVID report only monthly and the next report will be scheduled for October 31. However, it has updated its page on the COVID outbreak. On Monday, outbreaks occurred in 4 hospitals:
Two cases of influenza A were detected through laboratory testing between Oct. 1 and Oct. 7, twice as many as in the province as a whole since the season began Aug. 27, according to the Respiratory Watch report.
So far, a portion of those affected were people between the ages of forty-five and 64, while the other portion were 65 years or older.
The most recent cases are in Saint John’s Zone 2 region and Fredericton Zone 3 region, while previous cases occurred in Campbellton’s Zone Five region and Bathurst’s Zone 6 region.
A flu-like outbreak was reported at one school, which is higher than the old average for this time of year, according to the report. School outbreaks are based on a 10% absenteeism rate at a school due to flu-like symptoms, he said.
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