B.C. health officials are making preparations for a possible fall surge in COVID-19 and influenza cases that could put added pressure on an already-burdened health-care system.
Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix spoke live Wednesday afternoon about fall respiratory viruses, particularly COVID-19 and influenza.
CTVNewsVancouver.ca is streaming the news conference LIVE NOW
"I do believe we are emerging from this pandemic, but a lot of uncertainty remains," Henry said during the news conference. "COVID-19 is going to be with us for the long term, and we need to put that in the context of the other respiratory viruses that we are likely to see again come this fall."
For example, health officials explained, influenza cases stayed quite low in 2020 and 2021 because of measures meant to curb the spread of COVID-19. But with restrictions lifted and people spending more time indoors, the flu and other respiratory illnesses are likely to return this year, they said.
RISE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS?
The Health Ministry explained hospital capacity in the province is around 9,400. That estimate is based not on physical beds, but also on realistic staffing levels.
"Our hospitals are extraordinarily challenged," Dix said.
Officials said with a rise in Omicron cases, hospitalizations could go up to about 700 additional patients. Currently there are about 350 people in hospital with COVID-19, though the province includes those who are hospitalized for other reasons and test positive for COVID incidentally in that total. It's estimated that 40 to 50 per cent of people in hospital with COVID-19 are there specifically because of the disease, while the rest are there for another reason and happened to test positive.
The "big unknown," officials said, is the impact influenza will have. Projections based on a possible "high" flu season, could see a peak of up to 1,200 additional patients requiring hospitalizations over the coming months.
To prepare for this extra demand, officials said they're looking at reducing current hospitalizations by focusing on patients currently waiting for care outside the hospital, like in a community clinic or through placement in a long-term care home. Hundreds of beds could be freed up through that process, officials said.
As well, a task force is being established to improve hospital efficiency and, as a last resort, surgeries may need to be postponed again.
VACCINE CAMPAIGNS
Officials reiterated Wednesday the importance of getting a fall booster with the Omicron-targeting bivalent-vaccine. They said the boosters decrease the risk of having long COVID symptoms and reinfection of the disease.
Influenza vaccines will also soon be available in the province. They're expected to be offered to the most vulnerable community members as early as next week and may be available to all British Columbians aged six months and older after the Thanksgiving long weekend.
"We know that this bivalent booster, regardless of how many booster shots you've had in the past, we want everybody to get it," Henry said.
"We know that it protects against infection, but that wanes off over time, but does prevent against reinfection as well and we want people to have that boost in antibody levels as we go into November, December, January."
Dr. Bonnie Henry gives COVID-19, fall virus update | CTV News - CTV News Vancouver
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