There are currently 260 positive patients in BC hospitals, up from 255 on Thursday. This is the second time the total has increased in the last three days. Prior to the rise on Wednesday, the province’s total hospitalization was reduced every day since February 7. BC hospitalization numbers include patients admitted to hospital for reasons other than COVID-19 and found positive during routine screening. Health officials have previously estimated that these so-called “symptomatic” cases account for about 45 percent of coronavirus-related treatments. As of Friday, there were 50 people in intensive care units with COVID-19 in BC The latest update also included two more deaths attributed to the disease, for a total of 2,983 since the pandemic began. The latest deaths have occurred at Vancouver’s coastal and northern health authorities. There were also three more cases of COVID-19 in the island’s health area on Friday, at Amica Douglas House, Acacia Ty Mawr and Sunridge Place Seniors. There are now seven active cases in the county health care system, most of them in Vancouver Island long-term care facilities. However, the declared epidemics do not tell the whole story. Dozens of residents and staff at Haro Park in Vancouver tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks, but Vancouver Coastal Health has so far chosen not to report an outbreak there. Similar circumstances were observed in a care home in the Fraser Health area in late January. The most recent guidance document from the BC Center for Disease Control is dated last week. He says of caregivers: “An outbreak is described as an unexpected or unusual increase in COVID-19 cases or the severity of cases among residents, which is characterized by transmission within the facility and requires additional public health action beyond routine surveillance, case management and basic measures to prevent and control infections “. It is not clear why Island Health appears to report more cases based on these criteria than other health authorities. Small increases in hospitals and the number of reported cases may be early signs of a sixth wave of the pandemic, which experts have warned is likely to be lifted with most public health measures lifted. Transmission increases are also likely to be small, and Canada’s top doctor said that even if cases increase significantly, the country’s high vaccination rates should keep hospitalizations at manageable levels. In BC, 90.8 percent of eligible individuals aged five years and older have received at least one first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 87.2 percent have received two doses. Among adults, 59 percent have taken a third dose, also known as a booster. Monitoring the rise of COVID-19 infections in BC, if it occurs, could be a challenge. The province does not offer PCR tests to most people who have symptoms. Daily case studies include only laboratory-confirmed trials and may not be representative of the wider community transmission. On Friday, BC reported 218 new cases of coronavirus, almost at the same level as the seven-day moving average of 217.6. Health officials also said they plan to stop producing daily updates on the number of cases and hospitalizations, shifting the BC report on pandemic-related data to a weekly surveillance model similar to what the province does for influenza and other respiratory diseases. This change is expected to take effect next month. With files from Penny Daflos of CTV News Vancouver
