Researchers who analyzed COVID-19 data across Canada say New Brunswick has the highest COVID-19 risk index in the country, more than double the national average, but the provincial government It has been reported that the number of deaths due to COVID-19 has increased by two compared to the previous week. Currently hospitalized.
The province’s COVID-19 forecast for Feb. 17 to March 2 is 16, or “severe,” according to data from Canada’s COVID-19 Information Center.
Canada’s score is 7.6, or “very high.”
Tara Moriarty, co-founder of the group, posted on social media that both are on the decline.
The risk index is calculated from three equally weighted categories: mortality rate, current infection and spread, and impact on the healthcare system.
Estimated 1 in 20 people infected
Roughly one in 20 New Brunswick residents have been infected, said Moriarty, an associate professor at the University of Toronto.
Across Canada, an estimated 1 in 47 people are infected.
Compared to the lowest point of the pandemic in Canada, New Brunswick’s case numbers are about 26 times higher, Moriarty said.
Hospitalizations are about 8 times more likely, deaths are about 22 times more likely, and the length of the new coronavirus infection is about 15 times more likely.
Nationally, the number of people infected with the new coronavirus is now about 9 times higher than at the lowest point of the pandemic, the number of hospitalizations is about 5 times higher, the number of deaths is about 13 times higher, and the number of people infected with the new coronavirus is about 13 times higher than at the lowest point of the pandemic. The number is 8 times higher.
Hospitalizations due to coronavirus increase by nearly 41%
The state’s Respiratory Surveillance Report, released on Wednesday instead of Tuesday due to the long weekend, says COVID-19 activity remains moderate.
“During the current reporting period, February 4 to February 10, most indicators (number of cases, positivity rate, number of outbreaks) decreased,” the report said.
CBC requested an interview with Dr. Yves Leger, the province’s acting chief medical officer of health.
Both New Brunswick residents who died from COVID-19 during the reporting week were over 65 years old.
Their deaths raised the death toll from the pandemic to at least 1,011. The actual total is unknown because the state has only counted people who died in hospitals as COVID-19 deaths since September.
According to the Respiratory Watch report, 31 people were newly hospitalized with COVID-19 or COVID-19 during the reporting week. This is a nearly 41% increase from the 22 people hospitalized in the previous report.
The number of people requiring intensive care fell from five to four.
3 young people hospitalized
The hospitalized patients include two children under the age of four and one youth between the ages of five and 19.
The others include three people between the ages of 20 and 44, four people between the ages of 45 and 64, and 21 people over the age of 65, the report said.
There were two cases of new coronavirus infection confirmed through clinical testing, both of which were at nursing homes, down from eight cases.
Additionally, the number of new coronavirus infections confirmed by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests decreased from 86 to 76. Since April, the state has limited PCR testing to people referred by a health care provider. These are the people whose results directly impact treatment and care.
The positivity rate (the percentage of PCR tests conducted with a positive result) fell from 7% to 6%.
A total of 143,494 COVID-19 XBB.1.5 vaccines have been administered since October 4, according to Ministry of Health statistics.
Zero deaths and 11 hospitalizations due to influenza
According to the Respiratory Watch report, no influenza deaths were reported between Feb. 4 and Feb. 10, but the virus sent 11 people to the hospital, including children under 4 and youth ages 5 to 19. was transported to.
The other hospitalized patients include two people between the ages of 20 and 44, one between the ages of 45 and 64, and six people over the age of 65.
One person required intensive care and was between 45 and 64 years old.
Twelve people were hospitalized in the previous week, but none were admitted to the ICU.
The report states that there was a “slight decrease in influenza activity” during the reporting week.
Two laboratory-confirmed outbreaks were reported, the same number as last week. One is in a nursing home, and she and the other are in a facility listed only as “other.”
Five schools report “influenza-like” outbreaks
Five schools are experiencing outbreaks of “influenza-like illness,” down from six schools. Information such as the name of the school, number of infected people, and whether students or staff were affected has not been made public.
The report said the school outbreak was based on a 10% school absence rate due to flu-like illness symptoms.
There were 93 new influenza infections confirmed through laboratory tests, for a positivity rate of 8%. This is a decrease from the 102 people infected and the positivity rate of 9%.
Of the new infections, 58 were infected with influenza A (no subtype), 7 with influenza A (H1N1) PDM09, and 28 with influenza B.
These totals have reached 2,437 cases since the start of the respiratory phase on August 27th.
The Ministry of Health says 217,519 New Brunswickers have now been vaccinated against the flu this season.