Influenza, RSV cases on the rise in B.C., while COVID transmission remains flat

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

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control's latest respiratory illness update shows COVID-19 levels in the province remaining relatively flat in recent weeks, while influenza and RSV have surged.

Thursday's update, which covers data gathered during the most recent "epidemiological week" of Dec. 3 through 9, shows 10.4 per cent of tests for SARS-CoV-2 came back positive during the period, essentially unchanged from the 10.3 per cent positivity rate during the preceding week.

For influenza and RSV, however, positivity rose noticeably. Some 12.8 per cent of influenza tests came back positive during the week that ended Dec. 9, compared to 11 per cent the week before.

In mid-October, less than one per cent of tests for the flu in B.C. were coming back positive.

RSV data tells a similar story, with 8.3 per cent of tests coming back positive during the most recent epidemiological week, up from 6.7 per cent the week before. In mid-October, RSV positivity was at one per cent.

All three viruses are also monitored in wastewater across the province, and the wastewater data tells a similar story this week.

The BCCDC describes SARS-CoV-2 levels as "relatively stable province-wide" in recent weeks, while influenza A levels have been increasing at most monitored sites. RSV levels are "elevated" in the Fraser Health region and at the Lulu Island treatment plant in Richmond and "sporadic or variable at other monitored sites."

In raw numbers, the week's positivity rates equate to 434 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 – up from 382 reported last week for the period ending Dec. 2 – 538 new cases of influenza (up from 423) and 341 new cases of RSV (up from 252).

For COVID, the BCCDC also reports data on new hospital and critical care admissions, as well as deaths within 30 days of a positive test.

This week, however, it did not share any data on the number of people currently in hospital with the disease, citing an unspecified "systems issue."

CTV News tracks the number of patients currently in hospital with COVID-19 with a weekly graph because it is the only number the BCCDC typically releases in real time.

"Data for currently in hospital will not be updated this week," reads a message on the BCCDC website.

As such, the weekly tracking graph has not been updated this week. The next scheduled update on respiratory illness data from the BCCDC is due to be released on Dec. 21. That will be the last update of the year, as the BCCDC has said it will not be publishing data during the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.