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 bythe province Tuesday shows.

More people were admitted to hospital with the flu than COVID betweenApril 28 andMay 4, at four, including one who required intensive care, according to the Respiratory Watchreport.

COVID-19 activity remains moderate, the reportsays, while influenza activity has slightly decreased.

Among the four people killed by COVID during the reporting week, one wasaged 45 to 64 and the other three were65 or older.

Their deaths raise the provincial pandemic total to at least 1,038. The actual number is unclear because the Department of Healthcounts 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 viruswere confirmed through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, down from29.

The positivity rate or the percentage of lab tests performed that produced a positive result is two per cent, down fromfour.

While PCR tests are limited to those with referral from a physician or nurse practitioner, and who are eligible forPaxlovid treatment,COVID-19 rapid tests, which people can use at home to screen for the virus, continue to be available for free at various sites across the province, such aslibraries, municipalities and regional health authorities' facilities.

Rapid test brand switch explained

New Brunswick switched to using theFlowflexbrand of rapid testsinstead of BTNXin January, "as they have a later expiry date," according toDepartment of Health spokesperson Sean Hatchard.

"All BTNX rapid tests in the province's inventory expired as of winter 2024, and therefore are no longer being distributed," he saidin an emailed statement.The Flowflex tests expire in September.

A total of158,042 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 andMay 4, according to the report.

The four flu hospitalizations representa 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.

Thirty-fourflu cases have been confirmed, down from 42.The positivity rate decreased to four per cent, from five.

The new casesinclude oneinfluenza A (H1N1 pandemic 2009), fiveinfluenza A (unsubtyped) and 28 influenza B.

These raise the respiratory season total since Aug. 27 to 3,597.

There have been 224,494 New Brunswickersvaccinated against the flu, as of Tuesday, according to the department.

Horizon andVitalit

Horizon Health Network has nine activeCOVID-19 patients, as of Saturday, up from eight a week ago, its weekly COVID-19 dashboardshows.

None of the patients require intensive care, down from one.

Three health-care workers are off the job, after they tested positive for COVID-19, up from two.

ItsCOVID-19 outbreakpage lists one, as of Monday, at the Moncton Hospital's cardiology unit.

VitalitHealth Network updates its COVID report only monthly, with the next update expected on May 28.

Itsoutbreakpageis updated more frequently and shows no hospital unit outbreaks, as of Tuesday.