Numbers released by Public Health at the end of last week show a jump in the number of deaths from COVID-19 as well as an increase in lab-confirmed or PCR positive cases.
The respiratory watch session runs from Aug. 27 2023 to Aug. 24, 2024. Since the season began at the end of August, 53 deaths are being reported. Nearly all are people over the age of 65. This is an increase of 18 deaths compared to the 35 deaths reported a week earlier.
However, the information released by Public Health notes a “quality review” of the COVID data is underway and “notifications of hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths may lag; deaths are particularly affected.” It also noted the data is “incomplete” for the most recent week. This is because outcome reporting from Public Health for both COVID-19 and influenza occurs on Wednesdays.
“The most recent surveillance week is not included in graphs showing outcomes by week because of this,” the report said.
Six nursing homes reported residents with COVID, an increase from four the previous week. One home reported an influenza outbreak. Public Health said the number of cases reported during the week of Nov. 12- 18 (375 compared to 292 the previous week) are still below what was being reported at the same time a year ago.
COVID-19
During the 2023-2024 season thus far, there have been 317 COVID-19 hospitalizations (non-ICU), six ICU admissions, and 53 deaths.
The previous week saw 255 hospitalizations, five ICU admissions, and 35 deaths. The respiratory watch data notes “because not everyone gets tested or is eligible for testing, the numbers reported here under-represent the true burden of disease in the community.”
Influenza
By contrast, hospital admissions as a result of flu have been few.
During the 2023-2024 season to date, there have been seven non-ICU influenza hospitalizations, and no ICU admissions or deaths as a result of flu.
Is anyone asking questions about this decision by the province (the first sentence of the second paragraph above): “The respiratory watch session runs from Aug. 27 2023 to Aug. 24, 2024”? That’s exactly 52 weeks.
How true are the figures and facts ??? put forth by the NS Health.
I had friend of mine just short of their 90th birthday, had lung cancer, been in the hospital a few times in past 12 months due to complications with his breathing etc.
When he passed; they said it was COVID, it was cancer and old age, he may have contacted covid at the end but it was not the cause of death, so who are we to believe. Our health systems needs to start a new with the SAME doctors/nurses/ support people( just more of them) and NEW LEADERSHIP!!!
The system is just not broke it is a disaster. Houston not all your fault but you did not help, the other stooges MacNeil and Dexter did their part to too!!
Any chance the government will ever report covid data using ordinary English?