Respiratory rates high but stable as city ushers in 2024

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 numbersare generally high and stable.
• Flu and RSV activity is alsohigh.
• Thirteen more COVID deaths have been reported locally.

The latest

COVID-19, flu and RSVrates in Ottawaare all generally high and stableas we start into 2024, according to the latest data from Ottawa Public Health (OPH).

Flu levels in wastewater and flu-relatedhospitalizations are consideredvery high, as areCOVIDlevels in wastewaterand RSV hospitalizations.

There's generally been more flu and COVID in the city's wastewater this season than last, but less RSV. Flu hospitalizations started to rise in mid-November as the number of local COVID and RSV patients dropped.

OPHsaysthe city's health-care institutions remainat high risk from respiratory illnesses, as they havebeen since the start ofSeptember and are expected to remainuntil at least March.

Expertsrecommendpeople cover coughs,wear masks, keephands and often-touched surfaces clean; stay home when sick andkeepup with COVID and flu vaccinesto help protect themselves andother vulnerable people.

In Ottawa

Spread

Ottawa hit its highest coronavirus wastewater average of 2023 on New Year's Eve. It then eased slightly in the first few days of 2024.

The average has generally been rising for about sixmonths, with more uneven growth over the last three months.

"This is not a short wave," researcher Tyson Graber toldCBC Radio'sOttawa Morningearlier this week. Based on European trends, Graber said levels should continue rising foranother few weeks.

The weekly average test positivity rate is about 17per cent, which is stable andconsidered high, down from veryhigh.

Hospitalizations, outbreaks anddeaths

In the past week, the average number of Ottawa residentsin local hospitals for COVID-19has dropped to 46.

Aseparate, wider count which includespatientswho testedpositive for COVIDafter being admitted for other reasons, wereadmitted for lingering COVIDcomplications or were transferred from other health unitsis stable.

Patient numbers remained stable at 39duringthe previous week, a level considered moderate by OPH.

Theactive COVID outbreak count is stable at 24,with nearly all in long-term care or retirement homes. There is ahighnumber of new outbreaks.

The health unit reported 221more COVID cases and five moreCOVIDdeaths in the last week, all80 or older.

Ottawa has now passed 1,200 reported COVID deaths, about two-thirds within that 80+ age group.

OPH's next vaccination updateis expected next week.

Across the region

The Kingston area's health unitsaysflu trends there are high and rising,little has changed in its RSV pictureandCOVID indicators are dropping, though the wastewater average remains very high.

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU)'s big-picture assessmentrates the overall respiratory risk ashigh, whether that's related toCOVID, flu or RSV. Individual categories seen as very high include the COVID wastewater level, flu outbreaks and both COVID and flu test positivity.

Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health, like Ottawa,gives a weekly COVIDcase hospital average. That has risento 39, which isits highest average since autumn 2022.Flu numbers there remainlow.

Western Quebec has 62hospital patients who have tested positive forCOVID, its lowest count in three months. The province reported four more deaths there.

One more COVID death was reported in each ofHPE, theEOHU, the Kingston area andLeeds, Grenville and Lanark (LGL)counties.

Data LGLcounties goes up to Dec. 31, when its trends were generally high. Renfrew County's next update is expected Thursday.