Influenza, COVID case numbers climbing in Saskatchewan

The number of lab-confirmed cases of respiratory illnesses in Saskatchewan continues to climb.

The largest increase shown in the Community Respiratory Illness Surveillance Program report that was issued Friday by the Ministry of Health was in influenza.

According to the report, the number of lab-confirmed flu cases rose from 10 in the week ending Oct. 21 to 166 in the seven-day period ending last Saturday.

The test positivity rate for influenza climbed to 14.6 per cent last week from 1.0 per cent in the week ending Oct. 21. A rate of 2.0 per cent indicates the start of the flu season.

There were 442 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the province in the week ending Saturday. That number was 390 in the week ending Oct. 21.

Lab-confirmed cases of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) increased from one in the week of Oct. 15-21 to 14 last week.

COVID-19

Two COVID patients aged 60 and over died over the two-week period covered by the latest report. Since the pandemic started in March of 2020, 2,017 Saskatchewan residents have died after contracting the virus.

There were 17 COVID outbreaks reported in high-risk settings in the week ending Saturday; that number stood at 11 in the week of Oct. 15-21.

Hospitalizations due to COVID remained relatively steady over the past two weeks, with 117 people in hospitals around the province. There were 120 hospitalizations in the last full week of October.

Seven people were in intensive care due to COVID last week, down from the 12 reported two weeks earlier.

According to the report, weekly wastewater surveillance data showed an upward trend in COVID signals in most areas of the province — including Regina and Saskatoon — but not in the east-central region.

Data in the report suggested the uptake of COVID vaccines in the province is slow.

“Of those aged six months and older, 12.1 per cent have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine on or after Sept. 18,” the report said. “For those under age 65 years, all the zones have less than 10 per cent coverage.”

Influenza

The CRISP report said that as of last Saturday, only 15.3 per cent of Saskatchewan residents had received their flu shot this year.

More flu cases were detected in the northwest and Saskatoon regions than in the Regina and southern areas.

In addition to the increase in flu cases, hospitalizations due to the virus also increased significantly.

In the week ending Oct. 21, three Saskatchewan residents were in hospital because of the flu. Last week, that number was 54.

Over the same time period, ICU admissions due to the flu went from zero to five.

No flu-related deaths were reported over the past two weeks.