'The system is overwhelmed': Hospitalizations in Manitoba surging amid spread of COVID-19 omicron variant

The number of people hospitalized in Manitoba after getting COVID-19 continues to rise amid the surge of the highly contagious omicron variant.

The number of people hospitalized in Manitoba after getting COVID-19 continues to rise amid the surge of the highly contagious omicron variant.

More than 400 people are now receiving care after an infection, making it more difficult for frontline health professionals to treat people seeking both COVID and non-COVID care.

“It’s basically a snowball effect,” said Dr. Doug Eyolfson, an emergency and urgent care physician and former Liberal MP.

He said the number of people who’ve ended up in hospital after contracting COVID-19 is leading to longer waits in ERs.

“It takes longer for patients in emergency to get admitted,” said Eyolfson. “There are often a number of patients in emergency that are actually admitted to hospital, they’re waiting for hospital beds or sometimes they’re critically ill patients that actually need ICU.”

Intensive care units are also taking in more patients: 42 people who’ve contracted COVID-19 are currently in Manitoba ICUs, up three from Monday. As of midnight, there were a total of 96 ICU patients receiving both COVID and non-COVID care. Normal pre-COVID baseline capacity is 72 patients but there are currently 114 staffed beds supporting critical care across the province, according to Shared Health.

A total of 418 people are currently hospitalized after getting COVID-19, an increase of 40 patients since Monday.