COVID-19 deaths in Sask. hit record high in 2022

2022 has been the deadliest year of the COVID-19 pandemic for the province thus far.

The 21 COVID-19 deaths reported in Saskatchewan's latest community respiratory illness surveillance program [CRISP] situation report,propelthe annual count to 816.

In 2021 the province reported 802 COVID-19 deaths, eclipsingthe 153 deaths the province officiallyreported in 2020.

Despite the record number of deaths, the latest CRISP report revealsa decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths between Dec. 4 and Dec.17.

The province reports that there were 105 COVID-19 related hospital admissions between Dec.11 and Dec.17, with four people admitted to the ICU.

The previous week there were 116 COVID-19 related hospital admissions, with seven people admitted to the ICU.

RSV is on the rise

RSV cases nearly doubled during the last reporting period to 149 in the second week from 83 detections in the first.

In the most recent surveillance week, 37people were hospitalized with RSV; one person was placed in the ICU. The previous week 23 people were admitted to the hospital with RSV.

In the most recent surveillance week, the report says,94 (63 per cent) of the RSV cases were detected in children under the age of five.

Saskatchewan flu count is going down

Saskatchewan'sinfluenzacase, hospitalization and death counts all decreased during the latest reporting period.

Nevertheless, three more deaths from influenza were reported in the most recent CRISP report. During the previous two week period seven deaths were reported.

The number of lab-confirmed influenza cases dropped to 257 from 411 during the reporting period, while influenza-related hospitalizations admissions dropped to 37 from 71.

Influenza test positivity fell by nearlyhalf from the week ending in Nov. 20 to the week ending in Dec.17. However, it continues to havethe highest test-positivity rate among respiratory illnesses in the province.

The CRISP report shows 13.2 per cent of students in the provinces missed school because of an illness between Dec.11 to Dec.17, a slight decrease from the previous two weeks.

Vaccination rates for both COVID and flu remain stagnant.

Except for Regina, less than 50 per cent of their population in the rest of the province is up to date for COVID-19 vaccines.

Influenza vaccination uptake is even worse, the report says. So far only 24 per cent of the province's population has received an influenza vaccine.

That is a two per cent increase from the previous reporting period but 12 per cent less than the same time last year.

Provincially, weekly visits to Saskatchewan emergency departments for respiratory-like illness gradually dropped in the past month to 32 per 1,000 peoplefrom 56 last week.

CRISP reports are published every two weeks.