Advertisement

COVID-19: Alberta’s top doctor explains factors behind province’s reopening plan

Click to play video: 'Timeline to Alberta easing COVID-19 restrictions explained'
Timeline to Alberta easing COVID-19 restrictions explained
WATCH: Alberta's first step in a four-stage approach to easing COVID-19 restrictions starts next week. Lisa MacGregor explains what metrics need to be met, in order for more businesses to be reopened and rules relaxed – Feb 1, 2021

COVID-19 hospitalizations are the focus of Alberta’s road map for gradually opening up more businesses and activities, but the province’s top doctor says a different criteria will factor into whether to slow down or tighten up.

Hospitalizations are a lagging indicator. It could be weeks between cases being identified and those people being sick enough to need medical care. It’s a less-than-current snapshot of how the novel coronavirus is spreading.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer of health, said Monday the plan is to monitor leading indicators such as new case numbers, test positivity rates and how many new infections result from each case.

Story continues below advertisement

“If we meet those hospitalization numbers, but all of our leading indicators are escalating in a concerning way, then we would pause our move forward — and we may indeed need to move backward.”

The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 provincewide is below 600, down from the above-900 levels of late December and early January.

So, as of next Monday, Premier Jason Kenney has said some restrictions will be eased on indoor fitness centres, school sports and restaurants and bars.

Click to play video: 'Easing Alberta COVID-19 restrictions will be staged approach based on hospitalizations'
Easing Alberta COVID-19 restrictions will be staged approach based on hospitalizations

If hospitalizations drop below 450, the rules could be loosened for retail businesses, community halls, hotels, banquet halls and conference centres.

Story continues below advertisement

Casinos, museums, movie theatres, places of worship and adult sports could have relaxed measures if hospitalizations drop below 300.

And if there’s a drop below 150, a wide array of activities from amusement parks to funeral receptions could open up.

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.

Get weekly health news

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

There would be increments of at least three weeks between each stage.

Click to play video: 'Coronavirus: Alberta to begin easing COVID-19 health measures Feb. 8'
Coronavirus: Alberta to begin easing COVID-19 health measures Feb. 8

Dr. Christopher Mody, who heads the department of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine, said if the goal is to ease restrictions while protecting the health-care system, the Alberta government is taking the right approach.

“Hospitalizations are good for lifting restrictions,” he said. “But they’re the wrong indicator when you’re imposing restrictions.”

If, all of a sudden there’s a surge in cases as new, more transmissible virus variants take hold, the government can’t wait for hospitalizations to go up before acting, he said.

Story continues below advertisement

“The ship has already sailed.”

Dr. James Talbot, an adjunct professor of public health at the University of Alberta, said it takes at least a month before a change in restrictions affects hospitalization numbers, so the government’s three-week window is too short.

Nor does looking at a single provincial number account for whether hospitals in a certain area are overwhelmed.

Talbot added there’s less room for error with the risk of new variants first identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa spreading in the community.

Click to play video: 'Alberta has recorded 51 cases of COVID-19 variants'
Alberta has recorded 51 cases of COVID-19 variants

As of Monday, Alberta had identified a total of 51 cases of both variants. Six cases in three unrelated households don’t have a clear link to travel.

Story continues below advertisement

The more the original virus is allowed to replicate, the greater the chance even more dangerous mutations may emerge, Talbot said.

“By opening up, you’re adding oxygen to the fire,” said Talbot, who also co-chairs the Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association’s COVID-19 committee.

But Talbot said it’s not all doom and gloom, as Albertans have shown they can successfully tamp down big waves of COVID-19 — last spring and then in recent weeks.

“We’ve been doing a good job, but if we want to continue to do it, we’re going to have to be very, very careful.”

Dr. Noel Gibney, a professor emeritus in the Department of Critical Care Medicine at the University of Alberta, said it typically takes between six and eight weeks for the new variant to become the dominant strain.

But sometimes it can happen faster.

Gibney, who is also the co-chair of the Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association’s pandemic response team, said the variant became the dominant strain in Ireland in three weeks.

Story continues below advertisement
“[Ireland] had reduced their restrictions for Christmas and that meant this had a free hand to spread in the community,” he said.

Gibney said the current restrictions in Alberta need to be maintained.

“The population is tired of COVID, tired of the restrictions, but the consequences of easing up now are that we could have a third wave the end of March into April that would actually absolutely dwarf the first and second waves we’ve already had. This would be a real tragedy,” he said.

In particular, Gibney said it is important to get a sense of the prevalence of the new variants in the province over time.

“If we see it’s rapidly increasing in prevalence and taking over the conventional strain, it’s a really good signal that this is not the time to ease up because, if we do, again we could have this devastating third wave in six to eight weeks’ time,” he said.

Story continues below advertisement

With files from Julia Wong, Global News.

Sponsored content

AdChoices