Key takeaways:
- Despite an increase in the highly contagious omicron variant, the number of people hospitalized in Manitoba as a result of COVID-19 infection continues to rise.
- With over 2,200 infections per 100,000 people, Manitoba now leads all other provinces and territories in terms of active cases per 100,000 people.
- According to a spokesman for Shared Health, Manitoba has seen an increase in hospitalizations due to omicron.
Despite the rise in the highly contagious omicron variant, the number of people hospitalized in Manitoba after contracting COVID-19 continues to rise.
Over 400 individuals are now receiving treatment following an infection, making it more challenging for frontline health workers to treat people seeking COVID and non-COVID treatment.
Dr. Doug Eyolfson, an emergency and urgent care physician and former Liberal MP, described the situation as “basically a snowball effect.”
He claims that the rising number of people hospitalized after contracting COVID-19 is causing ER wait times to increase.
“It takes longer for emergency patients to be admitted,” Eyolfson stated. “There are frequently several patiseveralemergency who are admitted to hospital, who are waiting for hospital beds, or who are critically ill and require ICU.”
Also read: In Manitoba, COVID-19 hospitalizations are up 51.1% from the previous week
Patients are also being admitted to intensive care units in greater numbers: 42 people in Manitoba ICUs have contracted COVID-19, up to three from Monday. 96 ICU patients received both COVID and non-COVID care as of midnight.
As per Shared Health, the average pre-COVID baseline potential is 72 patients. However, there are presently 114 staffed beds supporting critical care throughout the province.
COVID-19 has resulted in the hospitalization of 418 people, a rise of 40 patients as of Monday.
The figures concern Dr. Philippe Lagacé-Wiens, a medical microbiologist at St. Boniface Hospital.
“While we’re hoping that people’s vaccine status keeps them out of the ICU in general,” Lagacé-Wiens said, “we’re still have seen a very substantial crunch in the hospital.” “So it’s a hospital bed issue, which indicates it’s a hospital staff problem,” she says.
Manitoba now leads all other provinces and territories in terms of active cases per 100,000 people, with over 2,200 infections. However, officials claim the number of real cases is much greater due to testing capacity constraints.
The rising number of hospitalizations, according to Lagacé-Wiens, is affecting care at all levels.
“We’re getting to the spot where your knee replacement, or cataract surgery, or other surgeries, will have to be put on hold,” he said. “They’re just as important, but they have to take a back seat because the system is overburdened.” It’s a sort of triage system. I’m not going to mince words.”
A spokesman for Shared Health told CTV News Winnipeg that Manitoba notices an increase in hospitalizations due to omicron. Work to support current and anticipated levels of hospitalization and illnesses between staff is ongoing.
The count of hospitalizations in the region has already been fluctuating around 40 and 50 patients, according to Dr. Denis Fortier, chief medical officer for Southern Health-Santé Sud.
He is still primarily due to the delta variant. However, Fortier claims that the dominant strain in the southeastern part of the province has recently shifted.
“That has shifted over the weekend, with omicron now being the most prevalent virus,” Fortier said.
Given that vaccination rates in some communities are well below the provincial average, Fortier is concerned about the impact of omicron on individuals in the region and the healthcare system.
“There’s a lot of concern about vaccination rates and how they might affect the severity of the disease and the amount of time spent in the hospital,” he said.
While people who have been vaccinated can still become infected, Eyolfson claims that most people who get omicron don’t get as sick as those who haven’t been vaccinated. If someone vaccinated ends up in an ICU, he says they are more likely to survive.
Source: CTV News
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