More than half of patients at Hamilton’s temporary hospital infected with COVID
COVID has infected more than 60 per cent of patients at Hamilton's temporary hospital that cares primarily for seniors waiting for long-term care.
In total, 73 of 120 patients have tested positive since the beginning of January at the Satellite Health Facility at 150 King St. E. in Effort Square.
During that same period, 57 staff tested positive at the site run jointly by Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) and St. Joseph's Healthcare.
Two have died in COVID outbreaks at the facility that is expected to expand to 150 beds later this month.
There have now been four outbreaks there - one on the third floor ended Jan. 29, while the latest on the fifth floor was declared Feb. 3.
An outbreak on the sixth floor reported five new cases Thursday to bring the total infected to 39. There is also a large ongoing outbreak of 41 cases on the second floor.
The fast spread of COVID in the facility has shown the vulnerability of the patients who were left out when residents of long-term care and high-risk retirement homes were vaccinated. Residents of the city's 39 high-priority homes are expected to get their second dose by Feb. 21.
It has also raised questions about why staff at the facility were not included in the first priority group at HHS and St. Joseph's. They have since been added at the request of Hamilton public health, but it's unknown how many got vaccinated before shortages shut down the fixed-site clinic until at least Feb. 10.
The city reported 71 new cases of COVID on Thursday, however this is two-days worth of infections as delays in lab reporting caused Wednesday's count to be artificially low.
Another senior with COVID has died in Hamilton bringing the city's pandemic toll to 261. The death appears to be a person aged 80 or more - this group accounts for nearly three-quarters of Hamilton's COVID deaths.
At the same time, another death has been reported in the outbreak at Alexander Place long-term-care home in Waterdown, where 11 have been infected and four have died.
Hamilton's weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 population is now down to 71, which is a significant drop from 193 on Jan. 8. But it's still a long way from 48.1 from Nov. 1 to 7.
We're seeing this downward trend," Ontario's chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams said about the province.
That's encouraging but at the same time we are not out of the woods," he said, calling Ontario's situation precarious."
The big worry is the fast-spreading variants - which haven't been found in Hamilton, but have been detected in 11 of Ontario's 34 public health units including Haldimand-Norfolk.
All you need is a short exposure," said Williams. You're going to have to be even more careful and cautious as you go forward."
Six Nations is seeing a spike in cases with 21 reported in the last seven days, including 11 on Feb. 3. An outbreak has been declared at long-term-care home Iroquois Lodge after two people who are not residents tested positive.
Hamilton's hospitals are caring for 100 COVID patients, which is high considering 150 total were hospitalized in the first four months of the pandemic.
At the same time, the hospitals continue to struggle with outbreaks as five more cases were reported at Juravinski Hospital on unit E2, where 36 have been infected and two have died.
The Mountain brow hospital also has outbreaks on unit F4 and E4, where 29 have tested positive.
Hamilton General Hospital has 17 cases on unit 5 west.
There is also an outbreak among three staff at the West 5th Campus of St. Joseph's.
Another fast-spreading workplace outbreak is at Canada Bread at 745 Nebo Rd., where 34 have now tested positive.
Macassa Lodge has also seen a growth in cases this week up to 48 in the outbreak in which nine have died.
In total, Hamilton has 38 ongoing outbreaks.
Over the last two days, outbreaks have been declared over at Rygiel Supports for Community Living, Good Shepherd Men's Centre on Mary Street, Amica Stoney Creek and the Charlton Campus of St. Joseph's on units 5MG and 6GI.
Joanna Frketich is a Hamilton-based reporter covering health for The Spectator. Reach her via email: jfrketich@thespec.com