Alberta COVID-19 hospitalizations down, as ICU admissions see two-week incline
Alberta now has 465 people in hospital with COVID-19, 25 of whom are receiving care in ICUs.
That is a decrease of 21 hospitalizations and an increase of 14 ICU admissions since the last Alberta Health update on Mar. 15.
The province was scheduled to release its weekly data on Mar. 22 but did not, citing technical issues, instead opting to release both last week's and this week's data on Wednesday.
The last time Alberta's hospitalization numbers were this low was Jan. 2, 2022.
In terms of ICU admissions, this is the highest number seen in Alberta since Feb. 1.
According to the province, 211 of the 490 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Mar. 20 were hospitalized for reasons directly related to the virus, while the other 279 people were admitted for other reasons, but incidentally tested positive. In the ICU, 60 per cent of patients were being treated because of COVID-19.
Alberta’s total number of COVID-19-related deaths went up by 24 since they were last reported. Four of those deaths belong to this week.
Alberta Health has counted 397 new COVID-19 cases after 4,885 PCR tests this week. The number of lab tests has gone up for two weeks, while the number of new cases went up last week, and went down by a single case this week in comparison.
The number of new cases is likely higher than reported because of testing limitations and because the province doesn't count positive results from rapid tests.
The average positivity rate is now at 8.57 per cent.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
On Mar. 27, 2020, 35 Albertans were hospitalized with COVID-19. On the same date in 2021, 276 patients were in hospital with the virus, compared to 953 last year, and 465 this year.
In 2020, there were 13 people with COVID-19 in intensive care on Mar. 27, compared to 62 in 2021, 45 last year, and 25 this year.
It is not known how many people in 2020 and 2021 were hospitalized and admitted to the ICU because of the virus versus people who were admitted for other reasons and incidentally tested positive, as that statistic was only made available by Alberta Health as of February 2022.
Alberta had 1,213 COVID-19-related deaths in 2020 and 2,106 in 2021. Last year had the highest number of fatalities, with 2,111.
There have been 213 COVID-19-related deaths so far this year, bringing the province's pandemic death toll to 5,643.
The next data update is scheduled for Wednesday, April 5.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.