COVID-19 hospitalizations up slightly while rates of flu, RSV remain stable

There were slightly more COVID-19-related hospitalizations in Manitoba but fewer for influenza as rates for bothas well as RSVremained relatively stable, according tothe latest week of provincial data.

Thirty-sixpeople were sent to hospital with COVID-19 for the week of Feb. 5-11, up from 11 the week prior, according to the latest report from public health out Friday.

COVID-19 intensive care unit admissions also increased slightly to five that week, compared with three duringJan. 29-Feb. 4.

There were also 17 deaths due to COVID-19 betweenFeb. 5-11, up from11,10 and 15 in the preceding threeweeks.

The number of cases detected increased to 108 compared with 65 and 62the two weeks prior, but down from 122 three weeks ago.

Reported cases are considered to be a significant undercount, since the province only reports cases confirmed through PCR testing, which is limited.

There were also four long-term care facility outbreaks declared between Feb. 5-11,compared with one a week prior.

Weekly test positivity rates rose to 11.2per centfrom 10.7 per cent.

Wastewater surveillance suggested sustained but lowerCOVID-19 activity inWinnipeg and Brandonas of Feb. 7.

Children's Hospital update

The situation at the Children's Hospital has been improving in recent weeks after a wave of RSV and flu-like illnesses over the past few months.

The department saw an average of 170.3 patients per day in November, 130.1 in December and 116in January.

As of Friday, there were 42 patients receiving care in the neonatal intensive care unit, according to an email from a Shared Health spokesperson. There were nine children receiving care in the pediatric ICU, which has a pre-pandemic baseline capacity of nine staffed beds.

Surgical capacity in the pediatric ICU is currently functioning at 80 per cent, Shared Health said. Surgeries were postponed amid the influx of patients in the fall and early winter months so more resources could be focused on caring for children with flu and RSV.

Influenza

In another development, test positivity rates for influenza A, the most common strain circulating in Manitoba this year, dropped slightly to 0.5 per cent the week of Feb. 5-11 compared with 0.8 per cent the week prior.

There were five positive cases of influenza A, up from three the week before andnine the week before that.

One person was hospitalized with flu-like symptoms and there were no such intensive care unit admissions. No new flu-related deaths were reported.

Shared Health said nearly 23 per cent 27 of 120 patients to visit the Children's Hospital emergency room on Thursday had flu-like symptoms. That's a drop from four weeks ago, when about half of young patients there had flu symptoms.

RSV

Rates ofrespiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, continue a weeks-long decline.

Test positivity rates for RSV were 4.8 per cent for the week of Feb. 5-11. It was6.2 per cent, 5.7 per cent, 8.3 per cent and 8.7 in thefour weeks prior.

There were64 positive cases of RSV detected, compared with 75 one week earlier.

Six infants and toddlers were admitted to Children's Hospital for RSV Feb. 4-10, Shared Health says, with two of those patients admitted to intensive care.

There have been 73 RSV-related admissions there since Jan. 1, with 14 requiring admission to the ICU.

Wastewater surveillance suggested sustained but lowerCOVID-19 activity inWinnipeg and Brandonas of Feb. 7.

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