Some turbulence toward usual end of respiratory season
Half of Ottawa's key numbers are stable; most others are rising
Recent developments:
- Ottawa's COVID-19 and flu numbers are moderate to high.
- RSV trends are stable and lower.
- Nine more COVID deaths have been reported locally.
The latest
It's not a straight line down and out of high-risk respiratory territory in the back half of this winter.
You'll find half the trends listed as moderate or stable in the weekly update from Ottawa Public Health (OPH). Among the others, however, more are rising than falling, and only one category is seen as low.
Flu and COVID levels in wastewater have ticked back up, for example.
The number of emergency room visits for all causes and for respiratory reasons have each risen again for two weeks after dropping for three.
RSV numbers are lower, though the number of new hospitalizations last week was still high.
Experts recommend people cover coughs, wear masks, keep hands and often-touched surfaces clean, stay home when sick and keep up with COVID and flu vaccines to help protect themselves and vulnerable people.
OPH says the city's health-care institutions remain at high risk from respiratory illnesses, as they have been since the end of August. This will be the case until respiratory trends are low again.
In Ottawa
Spread
Ottawa's recent coronavirus wastewater average back on Feb. 7, the most recent data available, fell for the final three weeks of January and then rose slightly to start this month.
OPH said the wastewater signal was very high again.
The weekly average test positivity rate in the city falls to about nine per cent, which OPH considers moderate.
Hospitalizations, outbreaks, vaccines and deaths
The average number of Ottawa residents in local hospitals for COVID-19 is a stable 32 over the last week.
A separate wider count, which includes patients who tested positive for COVID after being admitted for other reasons, were admitted for lingering COVID complications or were transferred from other health units, has edged downward again.
OPH considers the number of new COVID-related hospitalizations in the city — 47 — as high.
The active COVID outbreak count is down to 11. There is a moderate number of new outbreaks.
The health unit reported 130 more COVID cases and two more COVID deaths in the last week. One victim was in their 60s and the other in their 80s.
OPH's next COVID vaccination update is expected in early March.
After nearly four years, OPH said it is also ending its COVID-specific dashboard at some point this month. Much of the information is now reflected in OPH's respiratory updates. OPH said COVID open data will continue to be updated.
Across the region
The Kingston area's health unit says it's also in the midst of a high-risk time for respiratory illness.
Its flu and RSV pictures are stable while COVID-19 stats are dropping. Its only category seen as very high is the falling COVID wastewater level.
The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU)'s big-picture assessment rates the overall respiratory risk as moderate and stable.
Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health, like Ottawa, gives a weekly COVID case hospital average. That rises slightly to 13. Flu activity there is seen as low.
Renfrew County's trends are dropping.
Western Quebec drops to 38 hospital patients who have tested positive for COVID.
The health unit for Renfrew County reported five more COVID deaths over two weeks. The EOHU reported one more in the previous week, as did the province for western Quebec.
Data for Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties goes up to Feb. 4, when its trends were generally dropping.