Key Takeaways:
- Saskatchewan has the maximum COVID-19 death rate among provinces, according to data shared at a physician town hall last week.
- In the INHR COVID-19, the death rate per 100,000 is 2.5 times higher than in Saskatoon, with 197 deaths being the lowest.
According to data shared at a physician town hall last week, Saskatchewan has the highest COVID-19 death rate among provinces.
The province’s COVID-19 mortality rate per 100,000 increased to 4.7 in two weeks, exceeding the national average of 2.3.
Dr. Johnmark Opondo, a Saskatoon-based medical health officer, said, “Our death peak for Omicron is comparable to what we saw with Delta, reportedly a much more severe strain of COVID-19.”
“The pandemic has come at a high cost to us.”
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According to the most recent COVID-19 data report, 28 people died from the virus between March 6 and 12, bringing the total number of deaths in Saskatchewan to 1,179.
According to Opondo, COVID-19 deaths have had a “disproportionate” impact on certain areas.
Throughout the pandemic, the Integrated Northern Health Region (INHR) has recorded 413 deaths, the most of any region.
The death rate per 100,000 in the INHR COVID-19 is 2.5 times higher than in Saskatoon, with the fewest deaths at 197.
There have been 308 deaths in the Integrated Rural Health Region. There have been 237 COVID-19-related deaths in Regina.
The disparities, according to Opondo, are due to several factors, including the extent of community spread and individual vulnerability to COVID-19.
“We want to reduce this outcome as much as possible,” he said, adding that future prevention opportunities may be available.
While the number of deaths continues to rise, Opondo believes Saskatchewan’s cases have reached a plateau or are nearing the start of a downward trend.
“It feels more like a rollercoaster than a never-ending loop.” “But I believe we’ve created now with the Omicron wave,” he said.
However, he did say that the virus appears to have stabilized at “very, very high levels,” implying that the province may see a longer period of stagnation.
A high plateau, according to Opondo, is “not benign” and will continue to put a strain on the healthcare system.
“It comes at a high cost for us as a system because it requires our staff to operate at a higher level and puts a lot of strain on our capacity,” he said.
Due to waning immunity and new emerging variants, he added, a fall surge is possible, leading to COVID-19 becoming a seasonal respiratory virus like influenza.
Source: CTV news
