Two people have died from COVID-19 and 46 people have been hospitalized in central Alberta since late August.
One ward at Red Deer Regional Hospital Center also recently closed due to the coronavirus.
Dr. Peter Bauch, of the Red Deer Primary Care Network, said doctors were warning that hospital ward closures could resume.
He said everyone expected the new coronavirus to appear during flu season.
“We’ll see what happens in the next few weeks,” Bauch said after hearing of patients calling their doctors after testing positive using home test kits.
“The new variants are more contagious. They say they don’t make you very sick, but they definitely make people with weakened immune systems sicker.”
According to Alberta’s New Online Respiratory Disease DashboardThe novel coronavirus is the leading cause of viral infections, with 29 deaths and 1,772 laboratory-confirmed cases in Alberta between August 27 and September 17. 400 people were hospitalized, with 17 in intensive care.
In the Alberta Health Services Central Zone, there have been 210 confirmed cases over the past seven days, including 82 new cases.
Across Alberta, 114 cases of COVID-19 have been reported, including 13 in the Central Zone.
Of the central zone outbreaks, seven were in acute care facilities, four were in long-term care facilities, five were in assisted living/home living facilities, and one was in a children’s home.
Bouch said if people feel sick, they should get themselves tested before going out in public and potentially spreading the disease.
The online dashboard also tracks influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases.
In Alberta, there are 70 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza, 14 hospitalizations and two in the ICU. There were 11 influenza cases in the Central Zone, with one person hospitalized.
There are 23 confirmed RSV cases in Alberta, four of which are in the Central Zone. No hospitalizations were reported.
“As promised, I am pleased to announce the launch of a new respiratory virus dashboard,” Health Minister Adriana Lagrange said in a statement Monday afternoon.
“This updated dashboard harmonizes the reporting of respiratory virus data in line with practices adopted by other states. Among its new features, the dashboard now includes RSV cases and positive This includes reports on responses and we plan to collect critical outcome data in the near future.”
The dashboard will be updated every Thursday during the respiratory virus season, which begins around the end of August.
The province announced last week that starting Oct. 10, Albertans will be able to book their annual vaccinations against fall respiratory viruses. Reservations will be accepted starting October 16th.
You can make an appointment for a flu or COVID-19 vaccine at an AHS clinic or pharmacy by using the Alberta Vaccine Appointment System, by contacting your local clinic directly, or by calling 811.
People living in congregate care facilities will be able to receive respiratory virus vaccinations through their facilities.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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