COVID and flu both spreading in Hamilton
COVID and flu are on the rise in Hamilton.
COVID-19 transmission in Hamilton is high and increasing," states the city's status update Wednesday. Reported cases, test positivity, wastewater signal and number of active outbreaks are increasing."
Average daily influenza cases have also gone up to 5.4 on Oct. 29 from 1.0 on Oct. 15. It's a fraction of the 92 average daily new cases of COVID on Oct. 30 from 72 on Oct. 16. Case counts are a significant underestimate as the general public doesn't have access to PCR testing.
In addition, the city reported a Hamiltonian in their 20s has died of COVID. It's the second fatality in this age group - 14 deaths have been age 49 or younger. No one under age 20 has died locally.
The young adult was one of five COVID deaths reported between Oct. 21 and Nov. 1, bringing Hamilton's pandemic fatalities to 624. The others were two seniors age 80 and older, one Hamiltonian in their 70s and one resident in their 60s.
In addition, there have been two deaths reported in an outbreak at Heritage Green Nursing Home in Stoney Creek, where 71 have tested positive since Oct. 23. Another death was reported at the Charlton Campus of St. Joseph's Healthcare, where 12 were infected in an outbreak from Oct. 8 to Oct. 29.
In total, Hamilton had 26 active outbreaks in high-risk settings as of Nov 1. Other large ongoing outbreaks include Amica Dundas Retirement Residence, where 64 have tested positive since Sept. 26; Alexander Place Long Term Care in Waterdown, where 40 have been infected since Oct. 23; and at Dundurn Place Care Centre downtown, where 61 have tested positive and one has died since Oct. 3.
The number of outbreaks has been steadily increasing over the past three weeks from 19 on Oct. 12.
Tests coming back positive have also been rising to 21.6 per cent on Oct. 28 compared to 17.7 per cent on Oct. 14.
The increase in COVID spread comes at a time when Hamilton's hospitals are already strained with record overcrowding, backlogs and staff shortages.
Hamilton Health Science's (HHS) acute sites continue to face ongoing pressures across all programs," the hospital network said in an update to the community Wednesday. They are driven by high volumes and acuity of patients visiting HHS emergency departments, and this is resulting in increasing admissions to hospital. In addition, staffing pressures continue to strain the ability of teams across HHS to accommodate this extraordinary surge in occupancy."
So far, the number of Hamiltonians hospitalized for COVID has been holding steady at about two a day on average for the past three weeks. But Scarsin Forecasting predicts it will go up to as many as eight a day in late December. Modelling estimates 596 Hamiltonians will be admitted to hospital for COVID from Oct. 26 to Feb. 28.
There are some signs that the hospitals are already starting to feel rising pressure from COVID.
We have seen an increase in the number of COVID positive patients on our floors over the last several weeks," St. Joseph's Healthcare said in a statement on Tuesday.
McMaster Children's Hospital president Bruce Squires has included COVID and flu among a number of viruses contributing to a worsening crisis that is leading to severe overcrowding, cancelled surgeries and increasing transfers out of the site - including teens going to adult intensive care units.
It's important that everyone, including children, get a flu shot and to stay up to date with COVID vaccines and boosters," stated HHS. If you have symptoms of flu or COVID you should also stay home, regardless of rapid test results."
Joanna Frketich is a health reporter at The Spectator. jfrketich@thespec.com