COVID-19 kills 2 more in N.B., child and youth hospitalized

COVID-19 has killed two more New Brunswickers, while a child under four and a youth aged five to 19 are among the 19 people hospitalized for or with the virus, data released by the province Tuesday shows.

COVID activity remains moderate, and most indicators remained stable during the reporting period, April 21 to April 27, the Respiratory Watch report says.

The report comes just days after the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, known as NACI, issued its latest guidance on fall COVID-19 vaccines.

A fall dose is "strongly recommended" for people at higher risk of infection or severe disease, including seniors, people with underlying medical conditions, and those who provide essential community services, NACI said.

People aged six months or older who are not at increased risk may receive a fall dose, NACI said.

CBC News has asked the Department of Health for comment about its fall vaccine plans.

NACI said there isn't sufficient data yet to determine the best time to start fall COVID-19 vaccinations, but preliminary observations from previous seasons suggest COVID activity began to increase before fall campaigns were launched. Last year, the national percent positivity began to increase in mid-August, it said. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press)

NACI "emphasizes the benefits of available vaccines for COVID-19 protection, and particularly for those most at risk of severe illness, as we know that protection against severe illness due to COVID-19 can wane over time," chair Dr. Robyn Harrison said in a statement Friday.

"An updated COVID-19 vaccine formulation may also be available by the fall that would better target the currently circulating strains," she said.

Spring boosters have been available since April 2 to New Brunswickers considered most at risk of severe illness.

Nearly 2,000 COVID vaccines were administered in the past week, raising the total to 155,620 since Oct. 4, according to figures from the department.

The spring doses will be available until June 15, the department has said.

4 outbreaks, 29 new cases

The two people who died from COVID during the reporting week were aged 45 to 64 and 65 or older.

Their deaths raise the provincial pandemic total to at least 1,034. The actual number is unclear because the Department of Health counts only people who die in hospital as COVID deaths.

The 19 people who were hospitalized either because of COVID or for something else and later tested positive for the virus is up from 17 in the previous report. One person was admitted to intensive care, the same number as a week ago.

In addition to the child and youth, those admitted to hospital included one person aged 20 to 44, two people aged 45 to 64 and 14 aged 65 or older, one of whom required intensive care.

PCR lab tests are restricted in New Brunswick to those with symptoms who have a referral from a primary care provider and for whom the outcome will 'directly influence treatment or care.' (Kamran Jebreili/The Associated Press)

The number of lab-confirmed COVID outbreaks doubled to four since the last report. One was in a nursing home and the other three were in facilities listed only as "other."

Twenty-nine new cases of COVID were confirmed through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) lab tests, down from 31.

The positivity rate — or the percentage of lab tests performed that produced a positive result — is four per cent, unchanged.

Flu sends child and youth to hospital

No influenza deaths were reported between April 21 and April 27, but the flu sent seven people to hospital, up from six the previous week.

Among those admitted to hospital were a child under four, a youth aged five to 19, one person aged 20 to 44, one aged 45 to 64 and three aged 65 or older.

Influenza activity remains relatively stable, the report says.

Forty-two new flu cases were confirmed by lab tests, down from 59, with a positivity rate of five per cent, down from seven.

Eleven of the new cases were influenza A  and 31 were influenza B.

Since the respiratory season began on Aug. 27, there have been 3,630 confirmed flu cases confirmed.

A total of 224,109 New Brunswickers have been vaccinated against the flu, as of Tuesday, an increase of 146 from a week ago, figures from the department show.

Horizon and Vitalité

Horizon Health Network has eight active COVID admissions, as of Saturday, down from 10 last week, according to its latest COVID report.

None are in intensive care, down from one.

Two health-care workers are off the job, after they tested positive for COVID-19, compared to one a week ago, the report says.

Horizon's COVID-19 outbreak page shows one outbreak, as of Monday, at the Moncton Hospital's cardiology unit.

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