As Alberta added 406 new cases of COVID-19 from testing done over the weekend and announced it has now tested over one million people, Dr. Deena Hinshaw warned against the concept of herd immunity.
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health said there were 60 cases identified from tests taken on Friday, 184 on Saturday and 162 from testing done Sunday.
That brings the total active cases in Alberta to 1,549, with most in Calgary and Edmonton zones; Calgary zone has 575 active cases and Edmonton zone has 779 cases.
There were also four deaths recorded over the weekend.
“I know that people who have lost loved ones during this pandemic to COVID or any other cause have had to grieve in ways we are not used to,” Hinshaw said.
Three of the deaths were in continuing care, Hinshaw said. One, a man in his 70s, was related to the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary Two other men, one in his 80s and the other in his 90s, were related to the Millwoods Shepherds Care Centre in Edmonton.
Both of those facilities have been identified as having COVID-19 outbreaks.
The fourth death was a man in his 60s in Edmonton who was not in continuing care.
This brings the total number of Albertans who have died from COVID-19 to 265.
As of Monday afternoon, there were 63 people in hospital, with 15 of those in the ICU.
Hinshaw says herd immunity not viable option for Alberta
Hinshaw, who was conducting the update from her home due to cold symptoms despite testing negative for COVID-19, also said she wanted to note that she does not believe allowing Alberta to develop “herd immunity” to the virus is an option at this point.
“It’s important to remember that COVID-19 is able to spread rapidly, and we are all interconnected,” she said Monday.
“Adapting a herd immunity approach would have a serious and deadly impact on Alberta’s population.”
Herd immunity is when a virus is allowed to spread until enough people have been infected that the outbreak begins to recede because, as people build up immunity, the virus finds it more difficult to find a susceptible host.
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“The percentage of immune individuals to make this happen changes, depending on the specific infection,” Hinshaw said. “For COVID-19, estimates of this percentage range from 50 to 70 per cent, and serology studies in Canada have estimated that we are only at about one per cent or less of our population who have been infected.”
Hinshaw added that while younger people are less at risk, the idea of herd immunity could lead to additional spread and deaths in the older and chronically ill population.
“It is true that COVID-19 is rarely fatal in young people,” she said. “In Alberta, the risk of death for a person diagnosed with COVID-19 is about 18 per cent for those over 70, less than half a percent for those between 40 and 69, and vanishingly small for those under the age of 40.
“We cannot simply dictate where and how the virus will spread,” she said. “The more community transmission we see, the greater the risk of it spreading to older and at-risk Albertans.
“The lives of people with chronic conditions and our elders are very important.”
She added that a herd immunity approach could also overload the health system with increased hospitalizations.
“If we let the virus spread freely, our health system could be overloaded. Babies are still being born, car crashes are still occurring, and our health system must still support Albertans in countless other ways.”
Hinshaw also said that another important factor is that there is not enough scientific evidence that supports those who have already had COVID-19 are then immune.
“We still don’t know if being infected with COVID-19 actually confers any robust or long-lasting immunity,” she said.
Hinshaw said that Albertans need to rely on science, such as treatments and vaccines that are being studied, but also to find a balance between restrictions and the risk of COVID-19.
“We need to do our best to keep in place only the (health) measures that are needed,” she said.
“We are all in this together, and that’s a good thing, because we are strongest together.”
Staying home when sick essential: Hinshaw
While she was tested over the weekend and does not have COVID-19, Hinshaw also noted that she wanted Albertans to follow her example and stay home whenever they have symptoms.
She dialed into Monday’s conference from home after getting a sore throat on Friday.
“I don’t want to pass on whatever it is I have onto others, so I’m working from home until my symptoms resolve,” Hinshaw said.
However, she also added that she understands that some may feel pressured to go into work due to financial reasons.
“I know that staying home is not easy and that many Albertans face difficult financial and other choices,” she said.
Hinshaw added that while in the past it may have been easy to go into work with cold and flu symptoms, Albertans should work with their employers to find solutions.
“During COVID that’s not a risk that I or anyone else should take. Do not risk exposing others.”
Province has now tested over 1 million Albertans
The province also announced Monday that it has now tested over one million Albertans for COVID-19.
“While other provinces have faced massive lineups, or consistently narrow testing criteria– Alberta has been a leader,” Health Minister Tyler Shandro said.
“Alberta has now conducted more tests per capita then B.C., Ontario and Quebec.”
In total, the province has conducted 1,320,550 tests — on 1,001,638 different people. Shandro said that those going to get tested are doing the right thing.
“I also want to thank every Albertan that has been tested,” Shandro said. “Thank you for doing your part to protect yourself, your loved ones and community.”
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