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COVID-19 hospitalizations are starting to stretch the capacities of some hospitals in Metro Vancouver as infection cases continue at high levels and more-transmissible virus variants surge.
B.C. health officials have noted there are particular concerns at Vancouver General, Lions Gate and Surrey Memorial hospitals, with bed occupancy close to 100 per cent.
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On Tuesday, B.C. reported 377 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, up from 368 on Monday. Of those, 116 were in intensive care, down from 121 on Monday, but still 30 per cent of all hospitalizations.
Then just last week he had another health crisis that sent him to Vancouver for life-saving emergency treatment. When he passed out from the pain, Hartney was rushed to the hospital where it was discovered he was bleeding internally at an alarming rate. As time was of the essence, the decision was made to fly Hartney to Vancouver General for emergency surgery. His spouse, Samantha Childs, updated The Citizen with the latest news and said Hartney had many blood transfusions to keep him alive during transport and then during treatment. We almost lost him a couple times, Childs said. The experts couldn t go the less invasive route to discover where Hartney was bleeding from and finally did major stomach surgery where they removed 18 litres of fluid, Childs said.
Critical-care COVID-19 cases surpass peak of second wave Bookmark Please log in to listen to this story. Also available in French and Mandarin. Log In Create Free Account
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Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
More Canadians are being treated for COVID-19 in intensive-care units than at any time in the pandemic, a situation that underscores the threat of the highly contagious variants that contributed to Ontario’s decision on Monday to close schools indefinitely.
The rising rate of new coronavirus infections in Canada is putting extraordinary pressure on hospitals, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area, the epicentre of the third wave. There is also a record number of COVID-19 patients in intensive-care units in British Columbia.
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Provincial hospitals are prepared to receive higher numbers of COVID-19 patients, Health Minister Adrian Dix said Wednesday, not that he is comfortable with the situation.
“We’re both prepared for it and very concerned about it,” Dix said, considering that B.C.’s experience is that five per cent of people who contract COVID-19 wind up in hospital. “Obviously, if we keep seeing high case loads, it’s just by definition, five per cent of 1,000 (cases in a day) is more than five per cent of 750, so we’ve got to be prepared and we will be prepared for more hospitalizations.”
VANCOUVER Another COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at a Metro Vancouver hospital after multiple clients recently tested positive for the disease. In a new release Thursday, Vancouver Coastal Health announced the outbreak at Vancouver General Hospital. Two people tested positive on the fifth floor of the Joseph and Rosalie Segal Family Health Centre, the health authority says. The health centre is a mental health and addictions facility and has temporarily closed to new admissions and transfers, VCH says. Non-essential visits are also suspended until outbreak measures have lifted. The health authority says COVID-19 protocols have been implemented including enhancing cleaning, staff cohorting and careful monitoring of staff, patients and physicians.