BC COVID-19: Hospitalization rates are still skyrocketing, increasing the risk of unvaccinated

British Columbia COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) Hospitalizations will continue to rise, but state data suggests a peak for new hospitalizations next week.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, a British Columbia health doctor, released the latest COVID-19 data on Friday, showing that there are about 45 to 50 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per day in hospitals throughout the state. The state is expected to continue record hospitalizations at least until mid-next week.

“What we see is that there is a lag time between the peak of infection and the peak of hospitalization,” Henry said.

“We expect the peak to be sometime next week. Our modeling shows that a peak of hospitalization is expected between January 15th and 22nd.”

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Peak hospitalization is associated with a dramatic increase in health care workers’ illness. Earlier this week, the state presented data showing that healthcare workers missed more than 27,000 shifts across the state due to a week’s illness.

Henry said the Omicron variant should shorten hospital visits and relieve pressure on the system faster than during delta-driven waves.

“I think we probably reached the peak of community outbreaks in British Columbia last weekend,” Henry said. “It’s important. There are various indicators that can say that for sure.

“But we are still in the process of rising hospitalization rates, so new hospitalizations are still a concern, who is hospitalized and what can be done to influence the next trajectory. You need to understand for a few weeks. “

British Columbia set a new hospitalization record on Thursday with more than 500 inpatients.

260 people were hospitalized between Monday and Wednesday. This is a net increase of 104, as so many have been discharged.

Also, the number of patients who were positive for COVID-19 after being hospitalized for other treatments is unknown.

Just last week, an independent BC COVID modeling group of state university and private sector experts predicted that two to 10,000 people could be hospitalized during peak hours later this month.

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However, the state announced on Friday that it would change the way it reports daily hospitalizations. This means that the numbers will increase from Friday. Changes include everyone in the hospital with COVID-positive cases, from those hospitalized with COVID to those who test positive for COVID at any point during hospitalization.

This change is expected to mean that the number of inpatients is about 600, rather than the 534 inpatients announced on Thursday.

Hospitalization data continue to show that people over the age of 70 are more likely to go to the hospital with COVID than any other age group. If you are not vaccinated, regardless of age, you are 12 times more likely to be hospitalized, 27 times more likely to be in the ICU, and 40 times more likely to die.

“But what we need to pay attention to is the rise in older people so far … we see a slight rise in younger people,” Henry said.

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In young people, Omicron behaves like any other upper respiratory tract virus, causing other illnesses such as asthma, airway disorders, and bronchiolitis.

Henry said that was the reason why young people were sent to the hospital.

“The number of (hospitalizations) is highest in the age group of 60-79 years, but the hospitalization rate is the highest in people over 80 years old, and it rises a little in the age group of 0-19 years. Children’s age group “Henry added.

The rapid spread of Omicron, and both vaccinated and non-vaccinated, actually increases the risk of going to the hospital across all demographics.

“If you are young in your 30s and 40s, you are at a much higher risk of being hospitalized if you are not vaccinated,” Henry added.

“If you are not vaccinated, you are at increased risk. Omicron avoids that transmission. People are more likely to get infected. There is no longer any protection from unvaccinated infections. The human risk profile is actually changing in this strain. Without vaccination, the risk of entering the ICU is dramatically higher, which has changed since several months ago. “

According to modeling, 70% of people who have received critical care in the past month have not been vaccinated and most are omicrons, but there is a combination with the delta type. According to Henry, two-thirds of people who died in British Columbia in the past month have not been vaccinated.

The state predicts that current health regulations will reduce infections by about 20%. It has not yet been decided when the restrictions on gyms, bars and private events will be lifted.

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However, plans are underway to lift some of these orders in the hope that hospitalization pressures will ease from late this month to early February.

“We have experienced almost all pandemic scenarios. We get much higher immune levels than after the Delta. But that would be a really tough few weeks for our healthcare system, but this I think the vibration will be smaller if we get over it, “Henry said.

On Thursday, authorities recorded five new outbreaks in care facilities, 53 outbreaks in the health care environment off the state, nine of which occurred in hospitals.

Authorities reported cases identified in another 2,554 labs of COVID-19, with at least 36,049 active cases across the state.

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