According to the province’s monthly respiratory illness surveillance report, COVID-19 and influenza have increased slightly in Saskatchewan.
The province moves to monthly reporting each spring. The reporting period was from Aug. 11 to Sept. 7, the report was issued Sept. 13.
The majority of respiratory illness in Saskatchewan is due to COVID-19 (140 cases in the current reporting period compared to 57 ‘other’ respiratory viruses, nine Influenza and two RSV).
In the week ending Sept. 7, the proportions of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases were highest among individuals 65 years and older (50.7 per cent), followed by those aged 20 – 64 years old (40 per cent).
Test positivity in North Central is 11.3 per cent for COVID-19 and 0.0 per cent for Influenza.
In July 2023 the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) took over wastewater data from the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina.
Wastewater data indicates COVID-19 levels in all regions with sampling programs is ‘low’. The majority of cities sampled have stable or decreasing trends.
These are only lab-confirmed cases and not rapid antigen test-confirmed cases.
The province warns that rates should be interpreted with caution because they do not include cases detected by home rapid-antigen test kits.
One COVID-19-associated death was reported during this reporting period. It is not known how many deaths occurred in North Central over this period.
The report shows there are currently 47 hospital admissions and three ICU admission.
COVID-19 hospitalizations are higher in the most recent two weeks (from 78 to 91 admissions). COVID-19 related ICU admissions remained stable at eight for the most recent two weeks.
The proportion of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients has remained stable at 3.2 per cent for most of this reporting period after a slight decline to 3 per cent.
COVID-19 outbreaks in high-risk settings increased to 13 for the most recent two weeks compared to 11 for the previous two-week period.
The COVID-19 immunization campaign launched October 10, 2023. As of April 20, 18.4 per cent of those aged six months and older have received a COVID-19 vaccine dose. The province did not include a breakdown of high and low areas of the province as they had in the past.
Over the past four weeks, influenza cases have shown a slight upward trend, with a notable increase in the week ending Aug. 31t when the test positivity reached 3.7 per cent. The increase was primarily driven by an outbreak of Influenza A at a facility in the Southwest region.
In the week ending Sept. 7, the proportions of laboratory-confirmed influenza cases were highest among individuals 65 years and older (44.4 per cent), followed equally by those aged 5- 19 and 20 – 64 years old (22.2 per cent).
One influenza outbreak was reported over the past four weeks.
No influenza-associated deaths were reported during this reporting period.
Influenza hospitalizations decreased from four to one for the most recent two weeks. There were no Influenza ICU admissions for the most recent two weeks.
The influenza immunization campaign launched October 10, 2023.
As of Oct. 13, 2022 the Ministry of Health launched the community respiratory illness surveillance program (CRISP) report to integrate COVID-19 surveillance and reporting with provincial respiratory illness and surveillance reporting, including influenza.
The report standardizes the epidemiological information required for respiratory illness surveillance and risk management and will be issued bi-weekly during respiratory illness season.
