Flu, RSV and COVID-19 cases all increased last week in B.C., data shows

A sign at the BC Centre for Disease Control is seen in this photo from the BCCDC website.

Cases of influenza, RSV and COVID-19 all increased in B.C. last week, according to the latest respiratory illness data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.

All three diseases remain well below their recent transmission peaks, however.

There were 528 positive tests for influenza in the province during the most recent epidemiological week, which spanned Jan. 21 to 27. That's an increase from the 442 positive tests recorded the week before.

The percentage of tests coming back positive also rose from week to week. It was 11.5 per cent during the week ending Jan. 27, up from 10.1 per cent the week before.

Likewise, the number of positive RSV tests in the province rose from 285 to 327 in the most recent epidemiological week, and RSV test positivity grew from 6.8 per cent to 7.4 per cent.

Despite these numbers, the BCCDC's "key trends" summary for the week describes influenza and RSV as showing "decreasing trends," likely in reference to the fact that test positivity for both diseases peaked in late December or early January and is now notably lower than it was.

On COVID, the BCCDC says hospital and critical care admissions "have fluctuated over the past several weeks," while wastewater surveillance data has been "relatively stable at most sites."

The latest update shows 182 patients in hospital with COVID-19 in the province as of Thursday. That's a slight increase from the 168 reported last week, but still lower than the 219 seen at the start of the year.

The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 reported in BCCDC updates since January 2023 is shown. (CTV)

The BCCDC reported 494 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 infections Thursday for the week ending Jan. 27. That's up from 423 reported the week before.

Test positivity for COVID also rose from week to week, from 10.9 per cent to 11.7 per cent.

The BCCDC's weekly respiratory illness updates can be found on its website.