B.C.'s COVID-19 hospitalization total to jump as province changes reporting system
The B.C. government has announced it's moving to a system of "census hospitalization reporting," meaning that every patient in hospital who tests positive for COVID-19 will be included in daily numbers.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the new reporting system will result in B.C.'s hospitalization total increasing from Thursday's record high of 534 to upwards of 600.
Census reporting makes no attempt to separate out so-called "incidental" COVID-19 cases, which include patients who are hospitalized for reasons unrelated to the virus but test positive during routine screening, such as those heading into surgery or delivering a baby.
"They're not being hospitalized because of the impact of COVID, either directly or indirectly from exacerbation of other illness," Henry said.
The province described its previous reporting system as "a bit of a composite" of census data and hospitalization line lists from its health authorities. Analyzing those lists to separate out incidental cases takes significant effort, Henry said, and has become increasingly challenging as the Omicron variant resulted in unprecedented transmission in the province.
"It really means we have to do a chart review of every individual case," the provincial health officer said, adding the officials are trying to find a way to automate the process.
The previous system also excluded those who caught COVID-19 in hospital because of an outbreak, and those who live out of province.
While the census system is an "overestimate" of COVID-19's impact on B.C.'s hospitals, Henry said it is the cleanest way of reporting for now. More detailed breakdowns separating hospitalizations caused by severe COVID-19 illness from incidental cases will be published by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control on routine basis, possibly weekly.
As part of a modelling presentation on Friday, Henry also presented a breakdown of 56 COVID-19 hospitalizations recorded last month in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 45 per cent of which were incidental.
"This gives us a representative sample of what we might be seeing in other places," she said.
Of the patients who required hospitalization for COVID-19, the majority had the Delta variant. That included 64 per cent of those hospitalized who didn't need critical care, as well as 78 per cent of those who required critical care or died as a result of the disease.
There were no confirmed Omicron cases in the latter group, as the other 22 per cent of patients were not sequenced.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
WATCH LIVE 'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
World's record-breaking hot temperature streak stretches through April
The world just experienced its hottest April on record, extending an 11-month streak in which every month set a temperature record, the European Union's climate change monitoring service said on Wednesday.