As winter approaches, COVID-19 instances in Alberta hospitals keep increasing.
The number of COVID cases hospitalised on October 17 increased by 56 from the previous week, according to the weekly pandemic data report released on Wednesday, bringing the total to 1070. ICU cases increased slightly from 31 to 33 this week.
ICU capacity was 84% province-wide on Wednesday, according to AHS data.
There are more COVID-19 cases in hospital this year than the same time last year, but with fewer ICU patients.
On Oct.
On July 17, 2021, 990 COVID patients—218 in the ICU and 772 elsewhere—were present. A year later, there were 1070 patients, which is 80 more than the previous year, with 33 in the ICU and 1037 in other rooms.
Dr. Shazma Mithani, an Edmonton-based emergency physician, expected things to get worse in hospitals as the cold weather sets in and respiratory viruses spread through more of the community.
Tuesday, Mithani told Shaye Ganam, “This is only the beginning.”
The influenza season is about to begin. Our COVID numbers are also increasing. Therefore, the effects of it will be seen as additional pressure on top of the current burden on the hospitals.
According to Mithani, the summer months in an average year give Alberta emergency departments a break.
Hospitalized COVID patients saw troughs in the summers of 2020 and 2021. The summer’s low point was July 24, 2021, when there were a total of 70 COVID hospitalizations.
However, the year 2022 defied that pattern, with COVID hospitalizations falling to a record low of 543 on July 9.
In the entire year 2022, there have been no fewer than 400 COVID-19 patients hospitalised.
The Health Quality Council of Alberta, which keeps tabs on hospital occupancy for the general public, lacks information through March 2022. At the latest data point, the University of Alberta Hospital, Peter Lougheed Centre, South Health Campus and Queen Elizabeth II hospital were at above 100 per cent capacity.
According to Mithani, the number of staff members who can treat patients is “totally maximised.”
Because of the current situation’s lengthy wait times, Mithani remarked, “We’re trying to be as inventive and resourceful as we can. We don’t want any people to suffer as a result.”
The emergency room physician claimed that during the last five years, acuity scores—a gauge of a patient’s illness—have been rising.
What that means for us in the emergency room is
is that patients are more ill, which increases the likelihood that they will be admitted. Additionally, if they are more likely to be admitted, they stay in that bed for a longer period of time, which prevents us from using that bed to see patients, the healthcare provider stated.
Mithani recognized access to family doctors and primary health care can help take care of health issues before they become an emergency.
However, more Albertans have stated that they are unable to find a family physician.
Everyone is seen in the E. R., right? We will, we must, and we ought to. However, if there are issues that a family doctor can handle, of course, that’s best.
She advised getting guidance on whether to go to the hospital by dialling 811 or a family doctor.
“If you’re not vaccinated for influenza and COVID-19 already, please do that.
That will save you from becoming ill and having a serious sickness, Mithani continued.
The province recorded 32 additional COVID-19-related deaths in the last week, increasing the total number of deaths from the pandemic to 4,983.
One of those deaths was of an Albertan in the 30- to 39-year-old age group, another was in the 40- to 49-year-old cohort and another of the 50- to 59-year-old age group. The 80+ age group saw 16 deaths added from last week, and eight in the 70- to 79-year-old cohort.
Alberta will reach 5,000 deaths by the end of this week if the COVID deaths rate doesn’t change.
The province-wide seven-day average positivity rate decreased marginally to 18.45%.
This year, PCR tests in Alberta have been limited to people with clinical risks of severe outcomes and people who live and/or work in high-risk settings..
Hospitalizations for COVID in Alberta “likely to grow worse before getting better,” says one ER doctor
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