Hospitalizations for COVID-19 in B.C. dip slightly, with 17 more deaths reported

COVID-19 hospitalizations decreased slightly in British Columbia, according to the latest weekly report by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, and the number of people in critical care with the virus has also dipped.

On Thursday, the BCCDC reported 359 people in hospital, a decrease of almost three per cent from the week prior, and 34 people in the ICU compared to 38 in the previous week.

In the week leading up to Dec. 3, there were 17 new deaths reported among people who had tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 30 days. That same week, 539 new case of coronavirus were reported by labs in the province, a decrease of over 10 per cent.

In total, 4,715 people in B.C. are believed to have died of causes linked to the disease since the beginning of the pandemic.

The BCCDC notes that its numbers are subject to revision and are often changed retroactively.

Since most British Columbians don't have access to PCR tests, the only tests included in the province's reports, case totals are believed to significantly underestimate the true spread of the disease. 

Experts also say the province under-reports all key COVID metrics, including deaths, and have called on health officials to encourage people to wear masks and keep promoting booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

The BCCDC and Metro Vancouver continue to monitor coronavirus levels in wastewater at five treatment plants in the Metro Vancouver region, which accounts for about half of the province's population. While its latest report didn't go into detail, the centre said as of Nov. 26, viral loads were increasing at all five facilities.

Deadly flu season for children

Alongside the weekly updates on COVID-19, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said there will now be updates on the number of children who have died after contracting influenza.

Henry confirmed Thursday that there have been six deaths among children and youth so far this fall, including one child under the age of five, three between the ages of five and nine, and two teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19.

"Early findings indicate some of the children experienced secondary bacterial infections contributing to severe illness, which can be a complication of influenza," Henry said in a statement.

She added that deaths have been rare in "previously healthy children" and that infants and toddlers, children with chronic medical conditions, kids who need to take Aspirin or ASA for long periods of time and very obese children are most at risk.

In response to the deaths, the B.C. government is launching a flu vaccine blitz starting Friday.

Drop-in clinics offering flu shots to children and young people opened today and will be operating through the weekend.