Unvaccinated Quebecers are overrepresented among recent deaths linked to COVID-19: they represent one in three people among the deaths that have occurred in the last month, while they make up more than one in ten in the general population.
Of the 234 people who died, 75 had not received all their doses of the vaccine, according to data obtained by The duty. Of these, 52 (69%) were aged 70 and over.
While this figure may seem low, the MSSS reminds us that it is normal for vaccinated citizens to be over-represented, considering their weight.
“Since approximately 94% of people aged 60 and over have received at least two doses of the vaccine against COVID-19, it is normal to observe a higher number of deaths among those vaccinated,” he said. indicated by email.
Of the 158 deaths among those vaccinated, almost 90% (138) were aged 70 and over. A death has occurred in a person under the age of 30, but his immunization status has not been revealed “in order to respect the rules on disclosure and to protect confidentiality”.
“The more the number of people adequately vaccinated, the more the probability of seeing cases in vaccinated people is increased compared to unvaccinated as the transmission of the disease in the community continues and the vaccines are not 100% effective. against infection, ”adds the MSSS.
Collaborative work between the INSPQ and the MSSS is underway to produce an adjusted incidence of death, using the same method as that of cases and hospitalizations.
Considerable rise
As the Omicron tidal wave is wreaking havoc in hospitals, death tolls linked to the virus are mounting, too. On the second day of 2022, Quebec recorded an average of 20 daily deaths (7-day moving average), the highest for nearly a year, on February 11, 2021.
At the same time, there was an average of 3 daily deaths a month earlier, on December 2, in the onset of the fifth wave. This number has therefore multiplied by more than 6 in a single month.
From December 26 to January 1, 87 deaths were declared in the province, according to data from the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ). These are 50 more deaths than the previous week and 60 more than two weeks earlier.
In addition, 23 new deaths were reported for the day of January 4 and 5, respectively. This is the highest number of deaths reported in a single day for almost a year, on February 9.
Last week, the national director of public health of Quebec, Dr. Horacio Arruda, affirmed that “at least 30 to 40% of the patients” hospitalized and suffering from COVID-19 had not been admitted to treat this disease. Does the counting of deaths follow the same methodology?
For a death to be counted in the official report, COVID-19 (confirmed by laboratory or by epidemiological link) must have contributed to the death, explained the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) to the Duty by email. COVID-19 may thus have been the main or secondary cause of death.
“Patients with COVID-19 who die violently (accident, suicide, homicide) are of course not counted in the official death toll,” adds the MSSS.
Seniors at risk
The elderly remain the group most affected by mortality from the virus. More than half of the deaths from the week of December 30 to January 5 were in people aged 80 and over.
On Christmas Day, 12 people died from COVID-19 in the province. They were all aged 70 and over. Another more recent assessment: of the 23 deaths listed on January 5, 21 people were at least 70 years old.
In addition, more than 90% of cumulative deaths among those aged 70 and over (70-79 years, 80-89 years, 90 years and over) involved people with at least two pre-existing medical conditions. Less than 2% of deaths in each of these age groups had no medical condition.
Among the aggravating conditions are hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurological disorders.
The situation seems to remain under control in seniors’ living environments for the moment. Of the 89 deaths from January 26 to 1, 71 (80%) occurred at home or in an unknown location. More than 13% of deaths (12) occurred in long-term care homes (CHSLDs) and hospitals (CH). Five deaths also occurred in private seniors’ residences (RPA).
At the height of the pandemic, there were 625 deaths in CHSLDs and CH for the week of April 19, 2020 only.
The death toll stands at 11,873 deaths since the start of the pandemic.