1,619 people likely caught COVID-19 in B.C. hospitals and 274 of them have died
For the first time, B.C.’s Ministry of Health has provided information about people who likely caught COVID-19 after going to acute care settings for medical treatment or work, with 1,619 getting the virus and 274 of them dying.
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control has compiled a report, which is intentionally vague in parts, outlining the time frame and location of the outbreaks. To protect privacy, when the number of affected people is five or fewer, they simply mark an “x," so only 1,533 cases and 189 deaths can be pinpointed in the document; the more accurate grand total was provided by a Ministry of Health spokesperson.
The information was aggregated and released weeks after CTV News asked for detailed accounting on how many people were infected while getting medical treatment. The medical term for hospital-acquired infections is “nosocomial transmission,” and does not appear in any documents available from health authorities or the ministry.
All the deaths from COVID-19 acquired in hospital were patients, and no staff members died as a result. Roughly two-thirds of the infections were in patients, the rest in “staff/other.”
SOME HOSPITALS SAW REPEAT OUTBREAKS, OTHERS JUST ONE
Nine acute care outbreaks are still underway, including the fifth and sixth for Abbotsford Regional Hospital, where at least 53 people are believed to have contracted the virus. At least four of them have died.
At Burnaby Hospital, at least 188 people who went to the hospital for medical care or worked there got COVID-19 and four died during 14 separate outbreaks, one of which is still underway. At least 147 got sick and 18 died at Surrey Memorial across 15 outbreaks. Lions Gate Hospital has seen a total of 126 infected, 28 of whom have died, while the University Hospital of Northern B.C. has had at least 81 cases and 11 deaths.
“Outbreaks are declared at the discretion of the regional Medical Health Officer,” reads the BCCDC report.
For weeks, the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health authorities have rebuffed efforts to provide the outbreak data or speak with the deputy medical health officers responsible for supervising outbreaks in acute care settings. CTV News made several attempts to discuss the issue with health officials after a Freedom of Information request for documents outlining how hospital outbreaks unfolded and what was done to prevent more were met with mostly blank pages from the former, and zero from the latter.
B.C. HEALTH OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO RESTRICT PANDEMIC INFORMATION
B.C. began releasing information about long-term care and assisted living outbreaks after intense public pressure for transparency on those cases last year, but has resisted proactive disclosure of pandemic-related information on other fronts.
In September, the Ministry of Health came under intense criticism after refusing to reveal the total number of patients in B.C. hospitals due to COVID-19; the province regularly publishes statistics for those considered to still be contagious and therefore a risk to others.
Despite promising to provide weekly totals of both infectious and non-infectious COVID-19 patients, which would better reflect the impact the pandemic is having on the health-care system, health officials have not done so. B.C.'s provincial health officer later said “a semblance” of those statistics would be available.
In the spring, the BCCDC followed through on a promise to provide regular neighbourhood-level data on coronavirus infections and vaccination rates after someone leaked internal documents with the information to Postmedia.
CTV News asked to speak with the provincial health officer or head of the BCCDC to discuss nosocomial transmission, but was told neither was available.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.