COVID-19 hospitalizations spike in Manitoba but influenza, RSV rates remain stable
Wastewater surveillance suggests increasing COVID-19 activity in Winnipeg and Brandon
The number of Manitobans hospitalized with COVID-19 has increased, while the rates of influenza and RSV continues to hold stable, according to the latest weekly provincial data.
There were 56 people sent to hospital with COVID-19 during the week of Feb. 19-25 — up by 20 from the week prior, according to the latest report from public health, released Friday.
COVID-19 intensive care unit admissions jumped to nine, compared with three during the week of Feb. 12-18.
The total number of COVID-19 deaths is up by four in the latest report, the same increase as the week before.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate jumped to 12.6 per cent, from 10.2 per cent the previous week.
The report also says a total of 124 COVID-19 cases were detected in the latest reporting week, compared with 90 the week before.
However, those numbers are considered to be a significant undercount, since the province only reports cases confirmed through PCR testing, which is limited.
There were no new outbreaks between Feb. 19-25, compared with two a week prior.
Wastewater surveillance suggested COVID-19 activity in Winnipeg and Brandon was holding steady at lower levels as of Feb. 21 at all sites, the report says.
Influenza
Test positivity rates for influenza A, the most common strain circulating in Manitoba this year, dropped slightly to 0.1 per cent the week of Feb. 19-25 compared with 0.2 per cent the week prior.
There was one new case of influenza A, holding steady from the week before.
There were no flu-related hospitalizations or deaths during the reporting week.
RSV
The rate of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, continued a weeks-long decline.
There were 56 positive cases of RSV detected, compared with 61 one week earlier. The numbers have shown significant drops from the 164 RSV cases reported during the first week of 2023.
Test positivity rates for RSV increased slightly to 5.7 per cent the week of Feb. 19-25, from five per cent the previous week.