COVID-19 hospitalizations in B.C. are on the rise again as the latest weekly BCCDC report shows 596 people in hospital with the virus.
Of those in hospital, 54 are in ICU. Not everyone in hospital is there because of their COVID infection, as some people are found to have COVID after they are admitted to hospital.
This is the highest level of COVID-19 hospitalizations since February.
The weekly report also shed light on other metrics, though that data is a week out of date and somewhat unreliable when it comes to the true picture of COVID-19 transmission in B.C.
Recorded cases of COVID are down slightly, with the BCCDC reporting 1,987 new PCR confirmed cases. B.C.’s testing strategy precludes most of the general public from obtaining PCR tests and the BCCDC does not track the results of rapid antigen tests, meaning there are likely more infections than what is publicly reported.
B.C. made changes to the way it reports COVID-19 deaths. Deaths are now recorded on the basis of 30-day all-cause mortality, meaning anyone who died within 30 days of a positive PCR test is considered to have died from the virus. For the week of May 1 to May 7, 59 people died. The BCCDC said it takes approximately eight weeks for the true cause of death to be recorded.
Retrospective evaluations of underlying causes of death will be done by the BCCDC to reflect true COVID-19 mortality.
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@SchislerCole
cole.schisler@bpdigital.ca
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