Key Takeaways:
- A comparison of last week’s COVIDWatch report to this week’s shows that the most recent fatalities include 1 individual in their 60s, two in their 80s, and two in their 90s.
- According to the two regional health authorities, COVID hospitalized patients increased by 18%, from 102 to 121.
- According to Vitalité’s weekly report, 28 COVID-related hospitalizations have occurred, down from 35, with one in intensive care, down from five.
COVID-19 has killed five more New Brunswickers in the last week, according to numbers given by the province on Tuesday.
According to a comparison of last week’s COVIDWatch report to this week’s, the newest deaths include one individual in their 60s, two in their 80s, and two in their 90s.
However, according to the province’s acting deputy chief medical officer of health, the latest COVID data is “encouraging.”
Dr. Yves Léger noted that all “indicators” had decreased week over week, including deaths (down from seven), hospitalizations due to the virus (down 12 to 35), and patients requiring acute care (down 12 to 35). (down two to four).
“It reinforces the view that we believe we’re on the downslope of this current wave,” he added, citing two weeks of continuous reductions in those numbers.
However, according to the two regional health authorities, COVID hospitalized patients jumped to 121 from 102, a roughly 18% increase.
Only persons hospitalized with COVID are counted in the province, whereas Horizon and Vitalité include those admitted for another reason but later tested positive for the virus.
Over the last week, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has increased by 39% at Horizon Health Network, whereas it has decreased by 20% at Vitalité.
Meanwhile, the number of patients needing intensive care has dropped to six from twelve a week ago, per the Horizon and Vitalité dashboards.
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COVID hospitalizations ‘a better representation.’
According to Léger, the province’s technique of reporting solely COVID hospitalizations gives a “better depiction of the infection’s impact at a population level.”
Although COVID patients put “pressure” on the healthcare system due to the additional protective precautions required, he said they “would have been admitted.”
“It’s not unexpected, given that we know there’s still COVID circulating in our communities,” he added, “that you’d still see folks admitted with COVID into our hospitals.”
“If the trend continues,” and the province is on the decline, Léger anticipates the number of patients hospitalized with COVID to decline as well.
According to Horizon’s dashboard, there were 93 COVID patients in the hospital on Saturday. This is up from 67 in the previous report. Five people are in intensive care, compared to seven previously.
Horizon patients are located in 14 zones: Zone 1 in Moncton, Zone 1, Zone 2 in Saint John, Zone 2, Zone 3 in Fredericton, and Zone 7 in Miramichi.
According to Vitalité’s weekly report, there have been 28 COVID-related hospitalizations, down from 35, with one in intensive care, down from five.
Thirteen are in the Moncton region, six in Zone 4 Edmundston, one in Zone 5 Campbellton, and eight in Zone 6 Bathurst.
“Unvaccinated individuals continue to have the highest rate of COVID-19 hospitalization and death,” the province notes in its highlights.
The highlights mention that “individuals aged 60-79 account for most COVID-19 hospitalizations.”
One of the new entrants is a child under the age of ten.
New cases have fallen by 22%, while PCR tests have decreased by 10%.
Between May 8 and May 14, a total of 1,842 fresh cases of COVID-19 were reported, with 1,004 verified through PCR lab tests as well as 838 self-reported by people who tested positive on fast tests.
Between May 1 as well as May 7, there were 2,369 new cases reported, a 22% decrease.
However, there were 622 fewer PCR tests completed – 5,767 versus 6,389, according to COVIDWatch statistics.
“We obviously can’t say for certain why that is the case,” Léger explained. “However, if we look at all of the other indicators we have, all of the data and how they’re going, we believe it’s most likely because we’re seeing a decline in COVID activity in our areas, which means fewer people are sick and fewer people feel the need to be tested.”
He claimed that tests are still “extremely accessible,” with “many seats available” for anyone who wishes to be checked.
The ratio of self-tests fell from 1,031 to 193.
Based on PCR tests alone, there are 1,593 current cases across the province.
Vaccine preparation for children under the age of five
52.2 percent of eligible New Brunswickers have received their COVID-19 booster dosage, up from 52.1 percent a week earlier, 88 percent have had two doses, up from 87.9 percent, and 93.2 percent have got their first dose, up from 93.1 percent.
“Numbers are increasing, but not nearly as much as we might want,” Léger added. He added the province is currently searching for ways to boost adoption.
The province is also ready to distribute immunizations to children under five. “We think that permission [from Health Canada] will come in the future,” Léger added, guessing on months rather than weeks.
Only children under the age of five do not have access to immunizations.
Since the pandemic’s beginning, New Brunswick has had 64,490 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 62,486 cases declared “resolved” and 411 deaths.
Source: CBC News
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