B.C. respiratory illnesses mostly stable or declining in latest weekly data
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in B.C. was essentially unchanged this week, and key indicators of respiratory disease transmission in the province continue to show mostly stable or declining trends.
There were 170 test-positive COVID patients in hospitals across the province Thursday, up from 165 the week before, but within the same narrow range that has been seen since mid-January.
The number of COVID-positive patients in B.C. hospitals in public updates from the BCCDC in 2024 is shown. (CTV)
Other COVID-19 data is also stable or declining in the B.C. Centre for Disease Control's latest weekly update.
According to the BCCDC, there were 391 newly confirmed COVID infections in the province during the most recent epidemiological week, from Feb. 4 to 10. That's down from 441 the week before.
The percentage of tests coming back positive was largely unchanged, however, suggesting the week-to-week decrease was the product of fewer tests conducted. During the week that ended Feb. 10, 10.5 per cent of specimens came back positive. The week before, that percentage was 10.6.
Wastewater surveillance data shows concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 remaining fairly stable at most monitored treatment plants over recent weeks.
It's a similar story when looking at other respiratory illnesses for which the BCCDC shares data.
The most recent epidemiological week saw declines in the number of new positive tests for influenza and RSV (from 455 to 366 and from 324 to 247, respectively), and test positivity rates for each virus also dropped.
During the week that ended Feb. 10, 9.1 per cent of tests came back positive for influenza, down from 9.8 the week before. RSV test positivity dropped from 7.3 per cent to 6.5 per cent over the same period.
Positivity rates for entero/rhinovirus and "other" respiratory illnesses – a category that includes parainfluenza, adenovirus, HPMV and seasonal coronaviruses – rose sharply during the week in question, but those diseases make up small portions of the overall respiratory illness burden in the province. In other words, while the percentage of tests coming back positive for those diseases spiked, the absolute number of positive tests was still relatively small (102 for entero/rhinovirus and 205 for "other").
Similarly, wastewater surveillance data shows increasing concentrations of influenza B at some treatment plants in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island, but levels remain low overall.
Concentrations of influenza A and RSV in wastewater, meanwhile, have been decreasing across the province in recent weeks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW 'Oh my God, you're my brother': Manitoba man discovers six unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Canucks hold off Oilers for 4-3 win in Game 3
Brock Boeser had two goals and an assist, and the Vancouver Canucks hung on for a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise's disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.