The provincial bi-weekly respiratory illness report released today (Fri) indicates RSV, the flu and COVID-19 all increased in the reporting period from October 22nd to November 4th.

There were two deaths associated with COVID. COVID-19 accounts for 67 per cent of the hospitalizations for viral respiratory illnesses across the province, followed by the flu with 18 per cent and ten per cent for other respiratory viruses.

In the last reporting week, there were 117 people in Saskatchewan hospitals with COVID including 7 in an ICU. There were 54 admitted with the flu with 5 of those in an ICU and there was one person in the hospital with RSV.

COVID-19
– The number of positive tests for COVID-19 increased from 396 in the week ending October 28 to 442 in the most recent week.
– COVID-19 cases were highest in the 65+ years age group (47.7%), followed by the 20 to 64 group (42.2%).
– There were 40 COVID-19 outbreaks reported in a high-risk setting in the past two week compared to 23 in the previous two week period.
– COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped from 244 for the previous two weeks to 237 during the most recent two weeks. COVID-19 ICU admissions have remained stable at 21 for the previous two weeks to 20 for the most recent two weeks.
– The proportion of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients increased to 7.7% for the most recent week.
– In the last two weeks, two deaths associated with COVID-19 were reported.
– Of those aged six months and older, 12.1% have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine on or after September 18. For those under age 65 years, all the zones have less than 10% coverage. For those 65 years and older, all zones except for Central West (40.8%) and Regina (40.9%) have less than 40% coverage.

Influenza
– Influenza test positivity increased over the past two weeks from 42 to 166 positive lab detections with a test positivity of 14.6%. Influenza increase appears higher at this point in the Northwest and Saskatoon compared to Regina and the south.
– Influenza hospitalizations have increased from three for the previous two weeks to 64 for the most recent two weeks. Influenza ICU admissions have increased from zero for the previous two weeks to six for the most recent two weeks.
– As of November 4, 2023, 15.3% of the Saskatchewan population received influenza vaccine this season. For those aged 65 years and older overall coverage was 43.7%, the highest was in Central West (47.8%) and lowest in Far North Central (18.8%). For those aged less than 65 years the overall coverage was 9.5%; the highest was in Saskatoon (11.0%) and lowest in Far North West (4.7%).

RSV and Other Respiratory Viruses
– Other respiratory virus lab detections remained stable at 64 for each of the past two weeks. The weekly positivity rate ranged from 15.2% to 18.4%. (There was a change in methodology)
– RSV hospitalizations have remained stable at three for the most recent two weeks compared to one for the previous two weeks. Hospitalizations for ‘Other’ respiratory viruses have decreased from 52 for the previous two weeks to 34 for the most recent two weeks. ‘Other’ respiratory viruses ICU admissions have remained stable at eight for the previous two weeks as well as the most recent two weeks.
– Outbreaks due to ‘other’ viruses have remained stable. One outbreak was reported in high-risk settings over the past two weeks.