COVID outbreaks in long-term care homes in Island Health are increasing but the province’s seniors watchdog says the Omicron variant in a triple vaccinated population appears to be “less deadly.”
The health authority announced outbreaks at three additional long-term care homes on Thursday, bringing the total of affected facilities in the region to 21. B.C. has reported outbreaks at 58 long-term care homes.
Isobel Mackenzie, B.C.’s seniors advocate, said the outbreaks are “not unexpected” as they reflect high rates of COVID-19 transmission, driven by the Omicron variant, in the community.
B.C. reported 2,150 new confirmed COVID cases Thursday, including 354 in Island Health, for a total of 34,835 known active cases in the province. Of those, 2,104 are in the Island region.
Fifteen additional COVID-related deaths were reported, including four in Island Health. Mackenzie said two of those people lived in long-term care facilities.
Before COVID vaccinations, the fatality case rate in outbreaks at long-term care homes was 30 per cent. It has decreased as vaccinations rolled out, Mackenzie said, and in the past eight weeks, under Omicron, it has dropped again to about five to six per cent.
“They are not as fatal as previous outbreaks — but the fatality rate is not zero either, so we still need to take some precautions, which may look different than the ones we took in the past,” Mackenzie said.
“It goes without saying that the first precaution we can take is to ensure that infectious people are not coming into contact with residents,” she said.
The seniors advocate has been pushing for daily rapid testing of senior home staff, who are currently tested only when exhibiting symptoms.
“I don’t understand why we won’t test staff and residents to see if they have COVID unless they show symptoms,” Mackenzie said. Even during outbreaks, she said, “we’re still focusing on symptoms.”
On Thursday, Island Health announced new outbreaks at Fir Park Village in Port Alberni, where three resident cases have been identified, The Summit in Victoria with four resident cases, and Parkwood Court in Victoria with four resident cases.
The health authority also noted the outbreak at Dufferin Place long-term care home in Nanaimo had expanded to include the entire site with 27 resident cases. Most are experiencing “mild symptoms at this time,” said Island Health.
There are also outbreaks at Eagle Ridge Manor in Port Hardy, Sidney All Care in Sidney, Sunset Lodge of Victoria, Comox Valley Seniors Village in Courtenay, and at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria.
Mackenzie said she doesn’t believe Island Health is faring worse than other health authorities, noting that it is reporting outbreaks when at least two people are infected.
“It looks like Island Health has a lot proportionately but what’s happening is a lot of care homes in Fraser and Coastal that have three, four and five active cases and they haven’t declared an outbreak,” said Mackenzie.
What is different this time, she said, is that Island Health has a higher number of COVID cases per capita than in previous waves.
The province reported 891 COVID-positive individuals were in hospital on Thursday, including 119 in intensive care. COVID hospital census numbers now include people who came to hospital for COVID-19 symptoms, tested positive for the virus while at hospital for unrelated reasons, or acquired the virus in hospital.
Elin Bjarnason, vice-president of clinical operations for Island Health, said 91 patients were in hospital with COVID-19 on Thursday, including 18 in critical care. She called the COVID admission rate “relatively stable.”
Last week Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, said the latest modelling suggests COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant may have peaked but that subsequent hospitalization admission numbers and census numbers were expected to continue to increase for next two weeks.
