Calgary hospitals under a different kind of stress during Alberta's 5th wave

A high-profile Calgary emergency room doctor is warning hospitals in the city are under significant strain as the highly transmissible Omicron variant sweeps through the province.

"The Omicron variant is rampant at this point in time," said Dr. Eddy Lang, department head of emergency medicine in the Calgary zone.

According to Lang, there are a number of factors both directly and indirectly related to COVID-19 that are leading to this pressure.

"It's just the perfect storm," said Lang, who estimates about 10 per cent of all hospitalized patients in Calgary zone are positive for Omicron.

He said roughly half of them are there to be treated for other conditions and happen to test positive. Those patients need to be isolated from others within the hospital which takes additional resources, time and space.

There are staffing shortages too, as many doctors and nurses are either sick or in isolation due to possible exposure.

And, he said, a number of nursing homes where patients go to recover after hospitalization have closed to new admissions due to outbreaks.

"We're seeing unprecedented levels of hospitalized patients who cannot get a bed upstairs. They're occupying space and resources in the emergency department and is making for some very challenging working conditions right now," Lang said.

According to Lang, while all Calgary area hospitals are stretched, the Peter Lougheed hospital and South Health Campus are currently the hardest hit, with both operating at well over 100 per cent capacity.

But Calgary's ICUs are not currently under the same kind of pressure they experienced during the fourth wave, he said, because fewer people are presenting with severe lung disease.

He said most of the patients currently hospitalized for Omicron don't need ventilators but do need less intensive treatment, such as oxygen or rehydration. And virtually all of them are unvaccinated or have just one dose.

Hospitalizations rising

Alberta Health statistics show the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the province has increased by 43 per cent since Dec. 29, 2021.

There are currently 212 people with COVID-19 in Calgary zone hospitals, including 25 in intensive care. According to Lang, the 212 patients include both those who are sick with COVID and those who screened positive but are there for other health concerns.

Craig Jenne, associate professor in the department of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary, said it's impossible to know the extent of community transmission.

However, he expects hospitalizations, which are a lagging indicator, will continue to rise similar to the trends in Ontario and Quebec.

"Really, the only remaining question right now in the province, is how far will that hospital surge go," he said.

"Until those cases begin to plateau or come down we will not see that reflected in hospitalizations for a number of weeks after that case plateau. So, we are really just [at the] start of the next wave of hospitalizations and we have to be prepared for how high that will get."

Testing demands

But hospitals are facing yet another additional pressure during this wave.

Lang said with limited access to rapid tests, a reduction in PCR testing and long waits for those who are eligible, people are flocking to ERs and urgent care centres to get tested.

"That's really a problem and a bad idea," he said.

"It's annoying and unfortunate to have to wait for a PCR test, but that's the situation we're in right now. And there's no question people who are coming to the emergency department for COVID testing are taking away staff, time and resources from people who are sick with other conditions that need medical attention."

Lang said even if you have cold-like symptoms, you should assume you're infected with Omicron and you should isolate.