Weekly COVID-19 cases rise in N.B. after 4-week decline

After a four-week downward trend, the number of PCR-confirmed cases is up, according to New Brunswick's weekly COVID-19 report.

There were 797 confirmed cases of COVIDbetween Aug. 14 and 20, compared to 675 cases the previous week an increase of 18 per cent.

The number of deaths increased slightlysix compared with five the week before and included a person in their 30s.

While age continues to be a signifcant risk factor, young people can still die from COVID-19, Dr. YvesLger, the province's acting deputy chief medical officer of health, said Tuesday after the weekly COVID statistics werereleased.

Lger said age has always been one of the most important risk factors for severe outcomes of COVID infections.

Other risk factors affect cases among young

He said younger people almost always have a lower risk of death from the disease.

"However, there are other risk factors as well that do increase your risk of severe outcomes from COVID. So people who are immunocompromised,or have one or more underlying medical conditions, for example, are at increased risk of severe outcomes as well."

Active cases were also up last week1,110 comparedto 993 the week before.

The number of hospital admissions for COVID-19 remained unchanged at 22, while "active" hospitalizations, ICU patients, and the seven-day moving average for hospitalizations were all down.

The highest portion of hospitalizations for COVID-19 continues to be among individuals between 70 and 89.

The BA-5 subvariant of Omicron continues to dominate in New Brunswick. Of the PCR-confirmed cases last week, 94 per cent of samples were from the BA.5 strain, up from 86 the week before. That figure has been growing steadily since BA-5 first appeared in the province.

The other percentages of cases for each Omicron subvariant are as follows:

• 0 per cent of samples are BA.1, unchanged from last week
• 1 per cent of samples are BA.2, down from 2 per cent last week
• 0 per cent of samples are BA.3, unchanged from last week
• 5 per cent of samples are BA.4, down from 12 per cent last week

"This week's report shows some improvements on certain indicators and some stability onothers as well," saidLger.

"Overall, we're seeing some improvements week over week."

'Weird' definition of vaccine protection

New Brunswick divides many of its COVID statistics according to a person's vaccine status, which they describe as either "protected" or "unprotected."

That approach has been criticized for being confusing and misleading. It seems to show that people who have been vaccinated are dying at a higher rate than those who aren't.

• N.B.'s use of 'confounding and weird' definitions of vaccine protection causing confusion: epidemiologist

While the numbers appear to paint a troubling picture, it's not an accurate one, said Raywat Deonandan, a global-health epidemiologist and an associate professor at the University of Ottawa.

He said the problem is the way the provincial government calculates the category, which makes it appear as if those who have been vaccinated are more likely to die which is far from the case.

"Protected" is defined as being boosted or fully vaccinated within the last six months, while "unprotected" refers to being fully vaccinated for more than six months, being partially vaccinated or being unvaccinated.

That means someone with two doses and a booster albeit more than six months ago is lumped in with someone who hasn't had a single shot.

While that first person's immunity may have waned, it's certainly a lot better than someone who hasn't had any vaccination, said Deonandan.

He said international statistics show the death rate is three to four times higher for unvaccinated people, he said.

Lger said the department is aware of the issue with its definitions and is "looking into that currently as we speak."

In light of the Omicron wave, he said the province's definition is no longer "as accurate or as good, in terms of measuring the protection that vaccine affords."

"With the Omicron wave, how it's defined isn't measuring that like we would want it to, so we will be looking at that definition."

Test kit requirements

Lger said New Brunswick has "a good supply" of rapid test kits available and officials want to keep it that way. That's why the province will continue to give out kits only to people who are experiencing symptoms unlike some provinces that give out kits to anyone who wants one, even in the absence of symptoms.

In New Brunswick, symptomatic people are asked to register online or through 811 and make an appointment to pick up a test kit at one of several locations throughout the province.

Lger said there's another reason the province only gives tests to symptomatic people tests don't perform as well with those who do not have symptoms.

"They tend to perform best when people have symptoms and to make sure that we have supply as well on hand for the foreseeable future, we've decided to have these available for people who are showing symptoms of COVID."

Regional health authorities

The province's two health authorities also releaseweekly reports, but the categories and often the criteria differ from the province's weekly report.

For example, the province only reports on patients who are admitted to hospital because theyhaveCOVID. The Horizon and Vitalit reports include patients who were initially admitted for another reason and later tested positive for the virus.

In its most recently weekly report, Vitalit Health Network reports 18 COVID-19 hospitalizations, half of the previous week's 36, and a continuation of a downward trend.

Only one patient was listed in the ICU.Vitalit also says 138 staff were off work because of COVID-19 down from 144 the previous week. Bed occupancy rates were at 100 per cent, up from 99 the week before.

Horizon reported 95 active admissions, six patients in ICU, and 99 employees who tested positive.

Vitalit reported five hospital units with outbreaks in two hospitals four at Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre and one at the Edmundston Regional Hospital.

Horizon reported outbreaks in 22 units.