Deaths linked to flu, COVID-19 jump in Manitoba, latest surveillance report says

The number of deaths linked to influenza in Manitoba has jumped again, the province's latest respiratory virus surveillance report says.

The most recent report, covering the week of Dec. 11 to 17, says there have now been a total of 37 flu-related deaths. That's up by 15 from the number reported the week before.

The total number of COVID-19 deaths jumped by 26 since the previous week.

Of the total flu-related deaths, 70 per cent were among people 65 or older, the report says.

The total number of influenza cases this flu season has also soared in the latest report. It's now up to 2,206, from 1,701 the previous week.

While the reports released in the previous two weeks noted influenza case counts were lower than expected because of delays in documenting lab results, the latest recent report appears to include up-to-date numbers.

Flu-related hospital admissions also spiked in the latest reporting week, to 478 from 331 the previous week. 

Kids under five are still at the highest risk for influenza infection, accounting for 12 per cent of all cases and now for 14 per cent of associated hospital admissions, the weekly surveillance report says.

Nationally, activity of influenza A — the predominant strain circulating — has decreased in the last three weeks.

Flu activity this season started increasing earlier than expected this year but is now within expected levels, the report says.

Manitoba's flu test positivity rate decreased to 13.6 per cent in the most recent reporting period, down from 27.2 per cent the week before. That's also lower than the 17.4 per cent rate seen nationally, the report says.

The test positivity rate for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, jumped to 6.8 per cent from four per cent, the report says.

There were 120 more cases of RSV detected during the most recent reporting period, compared to 82 new cases the week before.

COVID-19 levels similar

Meanwhile, COVID-19 activity was similar to the previous week, with the test positivity rate rising slightly to 11.8 per cent from 11.4 per cent. 

Lab detection of COVID-19 cases is substantially lower compared to this time in the last two years, the report says.

There were 158 new reported COVID-19 cases in the most recent week and 154 the week before. But those numbers are considered to be a significant undercount due to limited testing offered by public health.

There were 50 people admitted to hospital with the illness, including 12 who needed intensive care. The numbers, respectively, from the previous week were 59 and 15.