Saskatoon, Regina to hit Omicron peak in 1 to 2 weeks, rest of Sask. 2 weeks after, Shahab says

Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer says Saskatoon and Regina could reach their Omicron case peak in the next two weeks, with the rest of the province expected to see a peak two weeks after that.

Dr. Saqib Shahab said Saskatchewan is experiencing "record-high test positivity," with PCR tests coming back positive 42 per cent of the time in Regina and 40 per cent of the time in Saskatoon over the past seven days.

On Tuesday, Canada reported 23,000 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. Last week, the Public Health Agency of Canada said its modelling suggested there could 150,000 new infections a day sometime this month.

"Our surge is happening throughout Saskatchewan. It is one or two weeks ahead in Regina and Saskatoon and then it will likely peak in a week or two and start coming down," Shahab said.

"We really need to minimize our non-essential contacts for the next two to four weeks. We need to take measures now so our Omicron surge is as low and broad as possible and doesn't come throughout the province at the same time."

Shahab said those measures include limiting contacts and non-essential travel for a few weeks, wearing a high-quality mask and being cautious during lunch breaks at work.

Shahab said Saskatchewan's Omicron surge is currently one to three weeks behind other provinces.

He said hospitalizations will follow a couple of weeks after the peak in cases, but will look different than previous waves because of the nature of the Omicron variant.

"This is a bit different from the pure COVID-related lung disease, but we will see a [hospitalization] increase in the next six to eight weeks."

Shahab said that before the vaccine was available, the concern was for the oldest residents in the province. He said the Delta wave "continued to wreak havoc on people who were unvaccinated."

He said the "Omicron-era" has changed who can be at most at-risk, with fewer direct ICU admissions for COVID-related pneumonia.

"We are seeing very low hospitalization in people who are fully boosted."

On Tuesday, the government provided data on hospitalizations and ICU admission based on vaccination status for the month of December.

There were 65 people hospitalized, which accounted for 1.4 per cent of all recorded COVID-19 cases. Of those hospitalized people, 40 per cent, or 26 total, were unvaccinated.

As of Dec. 31, 23 per cent of people over the age of five were unvaccinated in Saskatchewan.

On Tuesday, the government reported 1,089 new COVID-19 cases confirmed through PCR testing. There are 189 people in hospital, with 104 admitted for a COVID-related illness, 70 diagnosed with COVID after admission for something else, and 15 cases undetermined. 

There are 61 patients in Saskatchewan ICUs and 18 are there for COVID-19.

The government said 85 per cent of people five and older have one dose and 78 per cent have both. Vaccinations are up one to two per cent from last week.

Antiviral drug expected in Sask. this week

Saskatchewan expects to receive a shipment of the newly approved antiviral treatment Paxlovid sometime this week, according to a news release.

"Quantities are expected to be limited at first and will increase throughout the year.  Details on eligibility criteria and how to access this medication will be provided in the coming days," the release said.

Pfizer's Paxlovid was approved for use in Canada on Monday. It is an oral antiviral treatment prescribed by a doctor and administered in pill form. It is designed to help the body fight off the SARS-CoV-2 virus, reduce symptoms from infection and shorten the period of illness.

"Most people won't need it. Most are well protected with their vaccination. Being vaccinated prevents that progression to severe disease," said Dr. Satchan Takaya, a Saskatchewan infectious disease specialist.

Takaya said that, similar to monoclonal antibody treatment, Paxlovid is meant for people who are immunocompromised or unvaccinated. It is meant to be taken in the early days of the infection.

Takaya said 50 doses of the monoclonal antibody treatment sotromivab have been used in Saskatchewan.