Although most COVID-19 cases decreased slowly from the beginning of the year until August, there are early signs suggesting a new wave of COVID-19 infections across Canada. As hospitalizations rise, disease experts are also talking about how a new wave could be different from previous ones.
The Public Health Agency of Canada reported an 11 per cent increase of COVID-related hospitalizations on Aug. 15 compared to the week before.
Infectious disease expert Dr. Isaac Bogoch told CTV’s Your Morning on Wednesday there are some seasonal components to the rise in COVID cases, however, unlike the flu, this disease is present year-round.
“COVID will wax and wane but it just seems to always linger in the background,” he said.
But a rise in hospitalizations is not a byproduct of this year’s summer months.
The data states from April 2022 to March 2023, there was a 19 per cent increase in hospital stays in Canada for patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis compared to the same period the previous year.
One of the main differences in this wave of hospitalizations is that patients are older with a median age of 75 compared to 63-years-old in the previous year, the data showed.
Another key difference is the average length spent at the hospitals, which increased from 13 days to 20. However, while patients are spending more time at the hospital, the mortality rate decreased by 1 per cent. Between 2022 and 2023, COVID-19-related deaths in hospital represented about 10 per cent of hospitalizations, compared to 11 per cent the previous year.
While hospitalization cases are on the rise, CIHI’s data also noted there’s a decrease in emergency visits for COVID-19.
Emergency departments saw more than 222,000 visits due to the virus during the reporting period, compared to 262,000 in 2021-2022.
Quebec is not included in the CIHI hospitalization data.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE HEALTH-CARE SYSTEM?
Even though hospitalization cases are on the rise, Bogoch said he doesn’t think this wave will overwhelm the health-care system as it did in previous years.
“I don’t think we’re gonna see scenes like we saw in 2020 and 2021, where provinces were running out of intensive care unit beds and we were bringing health-care providers from other provinces in to help out,” he said.
While it might not reach those extreme levels, the infectious disease expert added the health-care system is still stretched in its capacity.
“Let’s not pretend for a second that our health-care system is doing well. It absolutely isn’t,” he said.
“It needs a lot of tender loving care and support.”
To alleviate some of the strains on the health-care system, and reduce the infection rates of COVID-19, Bogoch said people should be updating their vaccine shots and getting a booster, especially those who are most vulnerable to severe infections.
“Quite frankly, those are the groups who are overrepresented in hospitals and sadly, those are the people who are more likely to have severe manifestations like hospitalizations, ICU stays, or even death,” he said.
To hear Bogoch’s full health recommendations, watch the video at the top of this article.
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
