B.C. Health Minister said B.C. set an important but not unexpected record this week.
The number of hospitalized patients in the province this Tuesday was 10,435, said the Minister of Health, Adrian Dix, said at a press conference this afternoon (10).
That's an increase from the average hospitalization of 9,973 during the holiday period, Dicks said, noting that the surge in hospitalizations in early January was due in part to the resumption of the full surgery schedule.
The health minister said officials believe the current demand for hospitalizations is at or near the peak of the respiratory illness season. Dicks said the highest number of hospitalizations last year was 10,280, which in itself was a record record.
"I think what we're seeing is a constant test of the public healthcare system," he said. ”
According to Dicks, B.C. hospitals have a total of 9,929 "basic beds." That means a significant portion of B.C.'s 2,281 "temporary beds" are currently in use, but Dix said the province is well-positioned to handle the increase in demand.
"We expect this to be the relative peak of the flu season, but this is an important period and our healthcare teams, our healthcare workers are doing extraordinary work," he said, adding that it is "not too late" to help these workers by getting the latest flu and COVID-19 vaccines.
Monitoring children for 'signs of concern'
B.C.'s Chief Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, joined Dix to share information and answer questions from reporters about three children under the age of 10 who died from complications of the flu this quarter.
Henry said all three children developed secondary bacterial infections that led to their deaths.
"It's so sad and tragic," she said. "We know that children are protected from these infections. We know that any respiratory virus can cause inflammation in the lungs, making people more susceptible to bacterial infections.
Most children infected with the flu and other respiratory viruses recover on their own without the need for medical attention, but bacterial infections can sometimes cause patients to "deteriorate rapidly," Henry said.
She advises parents and caregivers to monitor children and "seek medical attention quickly" if children develop breathing difficulties, fever for more than five days, or any fever symptoms in children under three months.
"If your child is showing these worrisome signs, you should seek treatment immediately," Henry said. ”
Dix: B.C. still leads Canada in vaccination rates
At their last joint press conference last month, Dix and Henry encouraged BC residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu ahead of the holidays.
At the time, Dicks boasted that B.C. led the nation in vaccination rates, but noted that only about one-third of residents who were invited to get vaccinated were vaccinated.
Dix reiterated the statement today, calling it a "commendation" for pharmacists and public health workers in the province, as well as a "commendation" for the public to familiarize themselves with the vaccination appointment system.
"We're significantly better than the rest of the country," Dicks said. "But being number one in Canada doesn't mean we can't do better.
As of Tuesday, B.C. has administered more than 1.5 million doses of flu vaccine and nearly 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, Dix said. At this time last year, both numbers were higher, he said.
"We're behind last year," he said, "and it tells us that we can all continue to step up to protect ourselves, protect our communities, and I strongly encourage people to do that." There are thousands of appointments available across B.C. this week.
Transition year
According to the BC Centers for Disease Control, 2024 started with a total of 219 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 in hospitals across the province.
While this is a significant increase from the pre-holiday rate of 153, it is also the lowest year for the number of COVID-positive patients in B.C. hospitals since 2020.
While COVID-19 numbers have been relatively low and stable since the latest surge in early October, flu and RSV metrics have risen steadily, according to BCCDC.
Henry noted that the current respiratory disease epidemic season follows a typical pre-pandemic pattern, but COVID remains unpredictable.
"We are still in a transition year for COVID-19," she said.
"It's unclear what pattern this virus will take. Now, we've seen other respiratory viruses go back to the typical pattern we've seen, but COVID hasn't yet developed a pattern that we can continue to reflect."