Since Omicron arrived in the country in early December, more than 2 million Quebecers have been infected with COVID-19. The actual data shows that the risks of hospitalization for vaccinated individuals remained very low.
At the height of this fifth wave, in the first days of January, more than 2,000 people were entering hospitals each week for treatment for COVID-19. This is twice as much as during the worst moments of the previous waves.
Comparing hospitalization rates over the duration of outbreaks, the fifth wave compares to the second, the deadliest to date.
This second wave (between August 23, 2020 and March 20, 2021) caused 122 hospitalizations per 100,000 infected among women, and 163 hospitalizations per 100,000 infected among men. During the fifth wave, it is rather 137 hospitalizations per 100,000 women and 160 hospitalizations per 100,000 men who were recorded. In other words, the Omicron wave was as serious for our hospitals as the second wave, but for a much shorter period.
The mortality rate of this fifth wave is certainly lower than during the other waves. Since the beginning of December 2021, there have been 27 male deaths per 100,000 people infected and 15 female deaths for this same proportion.
In comparison, the first wave caused 55 deaths per 100,000 infected among women and 69 deaths per 100,000 infected among men. These death rates had only slightly decreased during the second wave.
As with the first waves, people over the age of 70 account for the vast majority of those who died. There are only 10 deaths in Quebec among people under 40 because of Omicron.
This text is taken from our newsletter “Coronavirus mail” of February 14, 2022. To subscribe, click here.
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