Fewer COVID-19 patients in B.C. hospitals today than at any point in 2022
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in B.C. has reached its lowest level in more than a year.
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control reported 228 test-positive patients in hospitals across the province as of Thursday. The last time the hospital population was that low was before the BCCDC switched counting methods and began including "incidental" hospitalizations in its weekly total.
The number of patients in B.C. hospitals with COVID-19 on Thursdays since the province started including incidental cases in its count is shown. (CTV)
That switch happened in January 2022. Until this week, the lowest number of patients in hospital on a Thursday since that change had been 255 on March 24, 2022.
"Incidental" COVID-19 hospitalizations are those in which a patient tests positive for the disease after being admitted to hospital for some other reason.
Before January 2022, B.C. reported only hospitalizations in which COVID-19 was believed to be the underlying cause. The last time that count was below 228 was the last day of 2021, when there were 220 patients in hospital under the old counting method.
Health officials have said between 40 and 50 per cent of the patients in hospital with COVID-19 each week are there because of the disease, while the rest are incidental hospitalizations.
OTHER DATA
Thursday's update from the BCCDC also included 408 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 from the week of Jan. 15 to 21, a substantial decrease from the 560 reported the week before and the lowest total reported since the week of Oct. 30 through Nov. 5.
There were also 104 new hospital admissions – a different metric than the currently hospitalized population – during the week of Jan. 15 to 21, down from 142 initially reported during the preceding week.
Both the weekly case count and new hospital admissions are imperfect measures. The former does not include reinfections or at-home rapid antigen tests, while the latter is always revised higher in the following week's report.
Because of the limitations of the weekly case count, experts have estimated that B.C.'s official figures for COVID-19 infections are off by roughly 100-fold.
Still, both cases and new hospital admissions are trending downward, and wastewater surveillance – which was recently expanded to include communities in the Interior and on Vancouver Island – has been pointing in the same direction.
This week's wastewater data has not yet been released, but as of last week's update, every monitored treatment plant in the province was showing decreased concentrations of the coronavirus.
VACCINATION AND 'KRAKEN'
In an update last week, federal health officials said it's unclear whether the XBB.1.5 lineage of SARS-CoV-2 – also known as the "Kraken" variant – will become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in Canada, but it's proportion of the country's total infections has been rising.
Citing this risk, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam and federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos echoed advice from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, which continues to urge all Canadians ages five and older to get a booster dose of a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine if they haven't already.
In B.C., 19,291 doses of vaccine were administered during the week that ended Jan. 21.
While 83 per cent of residents of all ages have received at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, significantly fewer have had a booster dose. As of Jan. 22, 56 per cent had had at least three doses, with 32 per cent – mostly those in the older age groups more susceptible to serious illness – had had at least four.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
MPs agree Canadian gov't should improve new disability benefit
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
New charges for Ont. woman who previously admitted to defrauding doulas
The Brantford, Ont. woman who was previously sentenced to house arrest after admitting to deceiving doulas has been charged again in connection to a new victim.