Taking precautions during holiday gatherings will ease strain on Winnipeg Children's Hospital, official says
But 'we'll run into trouble' without steps to slow spread of respiratory illness, says Dr. Elisabete Doyle
A rise in respiratory viruses is expected to continue to drive up an unprecedented number of patients seeking emergency care at Winnipeg's Children's Hospital — but if people take precautions, upcoming holiday gatherings may not push it over the edge, an official says.
"If people don't use them, or are unwise in using them, then I think we'll run into trouble," Dr. Elisabete Doyle, section head of pediatric medicine at the Health Sciences Centre's Children's Hospital, said during a Tuesday virtual news conference.
Respiratory viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza A have been straining the hospital's emergency department for about a month.
Doyle said the curve of influenza cases in Manitoba is going up much faster and hit a higher peak this year than it usually does. That quick ascent is expected to continue, while the drop in the curve is expected to be slow, she said.
"So our season is going to last longer, it's going to peak higher and we're getting there fast," Doyle said.
That's why she said she hopes people will stick to public health recommendations like wearing a mask in crowded spaces, washing hands and staying home when sick to mitigate the effect of upcoming holiday gatherings and events like school concerts.
"I'm not at the point where I would say, 'Let's cancel concerts' or anything like that. I don't think that that's necessary," Doyle said.
"But if you're sick, you shouldn't be attending. If you're in a crowded space, perhaps it's reasonable to be masking in that space, right?"
Doyle also emphasized the importance of getting flu shots to slow the spread of the virus and protect those who are still too young to get vaccinated.
Masking up for Christmas party
That's a message one community holiday tradition is bringing to its first in-person event since before the pandemic.
Kyle Mason, who is organizing the annual North End community Christmas party, said people will be asked to wear masks when not eating and spread out across a few different time slots to enjoy a turkey dinner, carol singalongs and pictures with Santa at the Dec. 14 event.
"We just want to be as healthy and as safe as possible. We don't want to cause any harm, and then we can look after our neighbours. This is one simple step of doing that," Mason said of the event, now in its 15th year.
On top of serving more than 400 meals at St. John's Anglican Cathedral, party organizers also hope to collect donations and give out about 600 new toys to kids at the event who otherwise may not get one.
"As adults, we all know that Christmas and the holidays is not about toys or gifts — it's about spending time with loved ones," Mason said.
"But when you're a kid, it is also about the gifts."
New website explains level of care sick kids need
Doyle said while there were 174 visits to the children's hospital emergency department on Monday, only 16 were admitted — meaning most could have potentially gotten treatment somewhere else, like an urgent care centre, pediatrician's office or walk-in clinic.
She said she suspects the high number of emergency room visits could be cut by at least 25 per cent if more people knew the appropriate place to go for care.
More details about how to care for sick kids and when to get them medical attention is available on a new page on Shared Health's website, Doyle said.
She said this month, the emergency department has seen 181 cases of influenza A — four-and-a-half times higher than the number of cases seen in November 2019.
The average number of emergency visits this month is about 171 patients a day, compared to 138 this time in 2019. There were also 11 patients in the pediatric intensive care unit on Tuesday morning, above the pre-pandemic baseline capacity of nine.
The neonatal intensive care unit has 47 patients, and a baseline of 50, Doyle said.
Virologist Julie Lajoie said the high numbers the hospital is seeing aren't shocking in the context of what's happening in broader society.
"The rate of absentees in schools and daycare is super high right now. We see tons of kids with runny nose and coughing," said Lajoie, a research associate at the University of Manitoba.
Lajoie said she can't predict exactly what will happen in the rest of this respiratory virus season, but agrees that things are likely to get worse before they improve.
"Based on every winter we have seen pre-pandemic … December [and] January are two hard months for respiratory virus. I don't see why suddenly that will change, based on how the trends look," she said.
With files from Alana Cole and Jérémie Bergeron