Today (July 20), B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry presented an update on epidemiology data as well as the results of the online B.C. survey, about the impact that the pandemic is having on British Columbians, that was launched in May.
However, when talking the data and talking about recent daily case increases over the past few days, she said that there is an upward bending of the curve and that “we are at a turning point” that could affect what happens in the months to come.
“We’re on the edge that might go up but is in our hands to control,” she said.
Dr. Henry provided case updates for the time periods since the last update on July 17.
Due to numerous flare-ups across the province over recent weeks, Dr. Henry had predicted that we would see more cases. The numbers she announced today confirmed what she anticipated.
From July 17 to 18, the number of new cases hit a high of 51—the last time daily new cases exceeded 50 cases was on April 27 when there were 58 new cases.
From July 18 to 19, the number of new cases declined to 19 but the number rose again from July 19 to 20 with 32 new cases.
There were a total of 102 new cases over those three time periods (which include four epi-linked cases).
All health authorities were affected this past weekend.
Over the course of the pandemic, there have been 3,300 cases in B.C., with 1,042 in Vancouver Coastal Health; 1,713 in Fraser Health; 142 in Island Health; 280 in Interior Health; 69 in Northern Health; and 54 among those who reside outside Canada.
There are currently 253 active cases, with 16 of those people in hospital (four patients are in intensive care unit).
There are three healthcare outbreaks, including one in a longterm care facility and two in acute care units. A total of 657 people (401 residents and 256 staff) have tested positive in healthcare.
Thankfully, there aren’t any new deaths, leaving the total at 189 people who have died.
A total of 2,858 people have now recovered.
She also noted that air travellers should note that there have been several recent flights in and out of B.C. confirmed with COVID-19 cases.
There remains one case linked to the Site C outbreak in Fort St. John.
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix (with Dr. Bonnie Henry)Province of British Columbia
Dr. Henry said that over 60 cases are now linked to the Kelowna outbreak that took place from June 25 to July 9, which involved individuals from Interior Health, Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health, and Alberta. She had previously stated that this outbreak may be connected to the Krazy Cherry Co. farm outbreak in Oliver.
She said there are several hundreds of people who have been exposed in this incident and have since returned to their homes in all health authority regions in the province. Accordingly, she said that we will see more cases develop in the coming weeks.
“What we can do is stop those people from exposing anybody else,” she said.
Prior to implementing health measures, the average number of contacts in the province was around 11 or 12 people. However, she said that they are finding that the number of contacts are returning to those levels (Dr. Henry previously advised keeping contact numbers to about six people), which is a concern to her.
In addition, she said that many of the contacts are unsafe connections, in settings such as parties, groups going to restaurants or bars, resorts, and private residences, and that people are sometimes meeting with one set of contacts on one night and a different contacts on another night, which she has previously advised against.
B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry (with Health Minister Adrian Dix)Province of British Columbia
Approximately 394,400 people completed the survey.
Four out of five respondents approved of B.C.’s public health response to the pandemic.
On the upside, 96 percent of respondents said they were practising preventative personal hygiene and 89 percent were avoiding gatherings.
However, while 79 percent said they were capable of remaining at home when sick, 67 percent actually stayed at home while sick, which is something Dr. Henry said is something that needs to be addressed.
Among challenges that British Columbians are facing, 69 percent had their work impaired by the pandemic, 62 percent were concerned about vulnerable family members, 47 percent felt their mental health was worsening, 33 percent had difficulties accessing healthcare, and 31 percent faced difficulties meeting their financial needs.
Those aged 18 to 29 years old, reported higher levels of decreased mental health (55 percent), worsening financial situation (52 percent), increased difficulty meeting financial needs (41 percent), and more.
Dr. Henry also provided an update on epidemiological data as of July 9.
While more men have been reported as contracting the virus in some areas, the number of cases between men and women were almost even (52 percent female, 48 percent male).
The average age of cases was 50, and 17 percent of cases were hospitalized (with an average age of 69).
Overall, the case fatality rate is about six percent (183 deaths out of 2,978 cases). The average age of those who have died (six percent of all cases) is 85.
However in healthcare facilities, the rate is much higher as 20 percent of longterm care facilities (109 out of 539 residents) and 22 percent in acute care units (22 out of 98 patients) died.
When presenting the latest epidemic curve, she pointed out that although we are continuing to see small numbers cases per day as sporadic transmission events continue to occur, the curve continues to grow.
“We do have a possibility of having explosive growth in our outbreak here in B.C. if we’re not careful in how we progress over the summer,” she said. “We still have it in our hands to make a difference in bending this curve.”
She said that they are starting to see an uptick.
“This is concerning but it is not foregone that we will have a rapid rebound,” she said. “It is something that we can make a difference in if we pay attention now.”
She said that if we increase our social contacts too much, it will impact everyone.
“Most concerning in the last week and a half, we have seen a growth in our number of cases, particularly in young people,” she said.
Social groups, she said, should not be larger than six people and she advised to avoid table-hopping at restaurants or bars. She reminded everyone to be considerate of people working at venues as well.
For those who are having social gatherings, she is asking people to assign “a designated contact keeper” so that contact tracers can find and reach everyone who may have been exposed.
“This is a warning to us,” she said, reminding everyone to be social in safe ways and to spread the message of maintaining health precautions. “The more people you see, the more likely it is that someone will have COVID-19 and spread it to you and the people you are close to.”
The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.
It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.
Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”
Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.
Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.
On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.
Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”
But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”
“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.
Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.
Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.
Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.
“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.
“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.
Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.
The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.
“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.
Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.
Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.
A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
