Alberta COVID hospitalizations surpass 1k leaving little room for flu, fall waves

Data obtained by Global News showed Alberta hospitals had closer to 1,100 COVID patients on Wednesday afternoon.

Alberta hospitals have had more than 1,000 COVID-19 patients for more than two weeks, according to the latest coronavirus data released by the province on Wednesday.

It’s the first release of COVID data in two weeks when, on Oct. 5, Dr. Deena Hinshaw tweeted Alberta Health was running into a “data flow problem.”

As of Oct. 10, there were 1,014 in Alberta hospitals, an increase of 34 from the previous reporting period two weeks ago. ICU patients are down eight to 31 in the same period.

But data obtained by Global News showed Alberta hospitals had closer to 1,100 COVID patients on Wednesday afternoon.

Dr. Dan Gregson, an infectious diseases physician and University of Calgary associate professor, said the ability for hospitals to take on more patients is in a delicate place, especially if a relatively-diminutive autumn wave of COVID-19 infections sends more to hospital.

“There hasn’t been a break and you’re seeing that in what you’re hearing from the emergency rooms — this constant load of patients.”

There haven’t been fewer than 800 COVID patients in Alberta hospitals since early August and there haven’t been fewer than 400 for all of 2022.

COVID patients in hospital require increased care and resources when compared to most other patients. Gregson noted COVID patients have to stay in their rooms to prevent spreading the deadly disease throughout the hospital.