For the period of Dec. 17 – 30, 2023, the CRISP report shows a decrease in influenza test positivity but an increase of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) cases in Saskatchewan.
According to the report, test positivity in the current reporting week decreased to 13.7 per cent compared to 31.1 per cent at the beginning for the four-week period.
“All geographical locations reported a decrease in the test positivity,” the report read. “Influenza Type A accounted for the 97.8% of the positive lab detections this season. The proportion of Type B has been increasing in the past three weeks from 1.9% in the week ending December 16 to 11.5% in the current week.”
Health officials report that RSV-test positivity for the current reporting week was 6.0 per cent, an increase from 2.3 per cent in the week ending Dec. 16. COVID-19 and influenza account for 32 per cent of hospitalizations due to viral respiratory illnesses in Saskatchewan, the report shows.
“Total hospital admissions for respiratory viruses decreased from 463 for the previous two weeks to 332 for the most recent two-weeks, reflecting a 28.3% decrease in the number of hospitalizations,” the report read.
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There were decreases in weekly visits to the emergency rooms for respiratory-like illnesses, as well as school-absenteeism and calls to Healthline 811. However, the report shows that Influenza A was the most detected virus in the province.
The report shows in the most recent week, COVID-19 cases were highest in the 65-years and older age groups at 44.9 per cent followed by 20 t9 64 age group at 39.1 per cent. There were nine COVID-19 outbreaks in the past two weeks compared to 14 in the previous CRISP report. However, there were four COVID-19 deaths reported in the last two weeks.
“COVID-19 hospitalizations have been decreasing for the past five weeks from 93 in the week ending December 9 to 46 in the current week, reflecting a 50.5% drop,” the report read. “COVID-19 ICU admissions have remained relatively stable at 14 for the previous two weeks and 10 for the most recent two weeks.”
According to the report, there were four influenza-associated deaths reported in the two-week reporting period.
“Influenza hospitalizations have been decreasing for the past four weeks from 147 in the week ending December 2 to 41 in the current week, reflecting a 72% drop,” the report shows. “Influenza ICU admissions have decreased from 37 for the previous two weeks to 14 for the most recent two weeks.”
RSV and other respiratory viruses have increased to 150 positive lab detections compared to 140 detections in the last CRISP report. Hospitalizations for RSV have increased by 147 per cent from 21 to 52 for the most recent two weeks. The report shows other virus outbreaks have decreased in high-risk settings over the past two weeks.
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