New study identifies who's most vulnerable to COVID-19 in Manitoba

A new study has determined that people who live in Northern Manitoba, those who have a lower income, or people who live in long-term care facilities are the most vulnerable to COVID-19 in Manitoba.

A new study has determined that people who live in Northern Manitoba, those who have a lower income, or people who live in long-term care facilities are the most vulnerable to COVID-19 in Manitoba.

The University of Manitoba study titled ‘Patterns and descriptors of COVID-19 testing and lab-confirmed COVID-19 incidence in Manitoba, Canada, March 2020-May 2021: A population-based study, used data from every lab-confirmed COVID-19 case in the province between March 2020 and May 2021.

Dr. Christiaan Righolt, lead author of the study and researcher at the Rady Faculty of Health Science’s Vaccine and Drug Evaluation Centre, said this is the first comprehensive report on COVID-19 risk factors in Manitoba.

“Our results include testing, incidence and positivity rates for specific population groups in Manitoba and the relative risk of these groups being affected by COVID and its severe outcomes,” Righolt said in a news release.

Other findings include that the severity of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in children was low, but that they did have a high risk of asymptomatic positivity, meaning kids are more likely to be asymptomatic carriers.

The study also found that secondary cases and super spreading was more common in the populations vulnerable to COVID-19, such as those with lower incomes.

“We hope that these findings can inform the public health response to COVID-19, and that they can help decision makers assess their local risks of COVID-19,” Righolt said.