In competition with influenza and the respiratory syncytial virus, COVID-19 continues to gradually lose ground in Quebec this fall. But the toll from the coronavirus pandemic remains heavy, with the province reporting 11 new deaths.
The 11 deaths reported on Friday bring the daily average calculated over seven days to 14. The trend is up 23% over one week.
The impact of COVID-19 on hospitals is decreasing slightly. The province reported a drop of 29 hospitalizations on Friday. The 1,658 people currently hospitalized represent a drop of 6% over one week. Of these, 560 patients were hospitalized directly due to their COVID-19 infection, the others having been admitted for another reason. In intensive care, the 43 patients represent a decrease of 9% over one week.
The number of people in hospital is expected to continue to decline over the next few days, with discharges outpacing admissions. On average, there are 15 fewer patients every day.
The spread of COVID-19 is also on the decline. The 737 new cases by PCR tests reported on Friday bring the daily average to 731. The trend is thus down 7% over one week. These numbers likely reflect only a portion of total infections, due to limited access to PCR testing. Moreover, the proportion of PCR screening tests proving positive for COVID-19 remains high, at 9.1%.
In addition to the cases detected by PCR tests, 183 people also reported over the weekend having tested positive on a rapid test. Self-reported cases, which are not included in daily reported cases, decreased by 12% over one week.
In hospitals, the number of absent workers due to the pandemic is decreasing. On Friday, there were 3,453 absences in the health network, or 5% less than a week ago.
Other viruses
This decline in the spread of COVID-19 continues as influenza and RSV are increasingly felt. Health Canada pointed out Friday morning that these were making their presence felt in a strong and early way this year, particularly among young children.
“SARS-COV-2 is still circulating across the country and transmission of other respiratory viruses, including influenza and RSV, is above the level expected at this time of year,” said Dr.r Howard Njoo, Deputy Chief Health Officer Canadian public. In fact, 8% of the tests for detecting RSV were positive and 16% for the flu. “These two viruses have a big impact on children,” added Dr.r Njoo.
Vaccination against COVID-19 stabilizes
During this time, the pace of the vaccination campaign is stabilizing and even seems to want to increase. Quebec administers an average of 17,300 doses per day, or 2% more than last week.
The rhythm of the campaign makes it possible to increase vaccination coverage. Taking into account the fact that Public Health recommends getting vaccinated after five months, 25.3% of Quebecers currently have their vaccinations up to date. This represents an increase of one point over the past week.
The rebound in vaccination is mainly felt among people aged 70 and over, a group more vulnerable to COVID-19. Nearly two-thirds of them received a dose in the past five months.
