Thread by @CMOH_Alberta

Here is a summary of today’s #COVID19AB update. Thank you for quickly adapting to the measures that came into effect Fri. Over the past 24hrs we have IDd 860 new cases & completed 12K+ tests. Our positivity rate is 7% & our active cases have risen to 10,031. (1/13)

There are 264 people in hospital w/57 in ICU. I have heard questions about how COVID hospitalizations & ICU numbers compare to influenza season & why our current acute care burden is so challenging. There are several differences between COVID-19 & influenza. (2/13)

We’ve had 49 acute care COVID outbreaks w/42 deaths in 7.5 months, despite extraordinary measures. The worst acute care outbreak numbers related to influenza in the past 5yrs - 40 outbreaks w/13 deaths in a full year. (3/13)

Processes that enhance safety, limit capacity. Isolation policies for patients w/COVID-19 symptoms, confirmed cases or those exposed mean not using multi-bed rooms & more PPE. Staff who have COVID or symptoms that could be COVID or have been exposed are unable to work. (4/13)

As transmission rises, health care workers or their family members can be exposed. This impacts the system as services can not be operated w/o skilled workers to provide them. Continuing care outbreaks impact acute care as patient transfer is limited w/outbreaks underway. (5/13)

I must report 20 new deaths over the past 24hrs. As cases rise, our deaths will rise. Each one of these people will be missed & mourned. The measures in place are literally a matter of life & death & the choices Albertans make now will determine our future in a few weeks. (6/13)

There are active alerts or outbreaks in 309 schools w/1,046 active cases. This incl 65 schools on the watch list. In-school transmission has likely occurred in 151 schools – 79 had only 1 new case result. When we drive comm. transmission down, we’ll see this in school #s. (7/13)

Each case has on average 15 close contacts. That means with 1K new cases a day, there are 15k new close contacts a day. It is impossible to call each one, which is why AHS has changed its processes and is using tech like the online portal & text notification. (8/13)

If you test positive, share your info, it is easy & anonymous. If you receive a text from AHS that you are a close contact, take the time to respond w/the option that matches your situation. This is critical to helping AHS prioritize phone calls where they matter most. (9/13)

I want to thank those adjusting their Diwali celebrations. Everyone’s holidays are looking different this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find joy or appreciate their meaning. One thing we can all take away from Diwali, is that light always overcomes the darkness. (10/13)

I know many are feeling the darkness of COVID-19. There is a lag time between actions & results, but if we follow public health measures, along w/restrictions in our communities, we could start to see results in the next 1-2 weeks. We have power when we work together. (11/13)

1.1 million+ AB have been immunized for influenza compared to about 940K at this time last year. We haven’t had 1 lab-confirmed case of seasonal influenza yet, meaning 0 related hospitalizations or deaths. In 2019-20, we had 8,470 lab-confirmed cases & 41 related deaths. (12/13)

I hope you see this as some light in the darkness. These results, of record vaccine uptake and no cases demonstrably show the power of us working together. There is no way around COVID-19 without this same power of collective action. We must continue to work together. (13/13)