COVID-19 deaths increase to 4 in N.B., hospitalizations drop to 3, fewer than flu admissions
COVID-19 deaths in New Brunswick doubled to four, week-over-week, while hospitalizations for or with the virus dropped to three from 19, and intensive care admissions dropped to none from one, data released by the province Tuesday shows.
More people were admitted to hospital with the flu than COVID between April 28 and May 4, at four, including one who required intensive care, according to the Respiratory Watch report.
COVID-19 activity remains moderate, the report says, while influenza activity has slightly decreased.
Among the four people killed by COVID during the reporting week, one was aged 45 to 64 and the other three were 65 or older.
Their deaths raise the provincial pandemic total to at least 1,038. The actual number is unclear because the Department of Health counts only people who die in hospital as COVID deaths.
1 outbreak, 14 confirmed cases
One COVID outbreak has been confirmed in a nursing home, down from four lab-confirmed outbreaks in the previous report.
Fourteen new cases of the virus were confirmed through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, down from 29.
The positivity rate — or the percentage of lab tests performed that produced a positive result — is two per cent, down from four.
A total of 158,042 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered since Oct. 4, figures from the Department of Health show.
Spring doses will be available to New Brunswickers considered most at risk of severe illness until June 15, the department has said.
Person aged 20-44 among flu hospitalizations
No flu deaths were recorded between April 28 and May 4, according to the report.
The four flu hospitalizations represent a drop from seven in the previous report, while the one ICU admission is up from none.
One person aged 20 to 44 and three aged 65 or older were admitted to the hospital, including the one who required intensive care.
There have been 27 flu deaths, 556 flu hospitalizations and 51 ICU admissions because of the flu in New Brunswick since the respiratory season began on Aug. 27, according to the Respiratory Watch report. (CBC)
Thirty-four flu cases have been confirmed, down from 42. The positivity rate decreased to four per cent, from five.
The new cases include one influenza A (H1N1 pandemic 2009), five influenza A (unsubtyped) and 28 influenza B.
These raise the respiratory season total since Aug. 27 to 3,597.
There have been 224,494 New Brunswickers vaccinated against the flu, as of Tuesday, according to the department.
Horizon and Vitalité
Horizon Health Network has not yet updated its weekly COVID-19 report.
Its COVID-19 outbreak page lists one, as of Monday, at the Moncton Hospital's cardiology unit.
Vitalité Health Network updates its COVID report only monthly, with the next update expected on May 28.
It updates its outbreaks page more frequently, but it hasn't been updated since May 7, when there was one outbreak at the Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst, on the general medical unit.
