Alberta’s respiratory virus tracker shows lab-confirmed COVID cases have nearly doubled since September.
From late August until Nov. 2, 1,396 people have been hospitalized with the virus and 136 people have died.
“It’s not quite as bad as its been in the past, but it’s worse again this fall like it was last fall,” said Dr. Daniel Gregson, an infectious diseases physician at the University of Calgary.
Dr. Lynora Saxinger with the University of Alberta says confirmed COVID cases have tapered off a bit after a peak last month.
The infectious diseases physician says while numbers are well below pandemic highs, severe illness is a burden on an already taxed health system
“Any extra surges of respiratory viruses that can be severe, especially things like RSV, COVID and influenza, do make a big difference in the overall capacity,” Saxinger said.
Alberta Health Services says some hospitals are experiencing high occupancy levels.
“AHS is opening 200 temporary acute care beds across all five zones. This measure will help address increased demand and will be supported by the recruitment of temporary staff, including nurses, clinical support workers, clinical assistants, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners,” AHS said in a statement to Global News.
“Sites remain ready to increase capacity as needed, which may include opening additional temporary surge beds as staffing allows, reconfiguring existing spaces, and maximizing the use of Virtual Hospital capacity.”
Doctors are expecting further strain when the flu virus starts spreading in Alberta.
“Last year at this time it was almost a straight line up in terms of influenza. This year is a lot more of a later start,” Saxinger said.
At Rosalia Yuen’s pharmacy in Edmonton, the owner and pharmacist says cold and flu medicine has been selling fast for months.
She preparing for an uptick, offering flu, COVID and RSV vaccinations, and recommends extra care if you have any symptoms.
“Stay home, drink lots of water, recover,” Yuen said.