Coronavirus outbreak

[-Vintage Canuck-]

B.C. COVID-19 pandemic update:

 

As of Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, 87.3% (4,046,960) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 79.9% (3,701,696) received their second dose.

 

In addition, 87.8% (3,799,479) of all eligible adults in B.C. have received their first dose and 80.7% (3,490,764) received their second dose.

 

B.C. is reporting 832 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 181,769 cases in the province.

 

Note: The numbers of total and new cases are provisional due to a delayed data refresh and will be verified once confirmed.

 

There are 5,697 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 173,786 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 330 individuals are in hospital and 148 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

 

Note: Intensive care numbers are a subset of the total in hospital. They are not in addition to the number of people in hospital.

 

The new/active cases include:

• 377 new cases in Fraser Health
  • Total active cases: 1,932
• 114 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health
  • Total active cases: 909
• 153 new cases in Interior Health
  • Total active cases: 1,181
• 117 new cases in Northern Health
  • Total active cases: 977
• 71 new cases in Island Health
  • Total active cases: 654
• no new cases of people who reside outside of Canada
  • Total active cases: 44

In the past 24 hours, five new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,915.

 

The new deaths include:

• Fraser Health: two
• Interior Health: two
• Northern Health: one

There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks. The outbreak at Brookhaven Care Centre (Interior Health) has been declared over, for a total of 22 active outbreaks, including:

• long-term care: Northcrest Care Centre, Westminster House, Menno Terrace East (Fraser Health), Arbutus Care Centre, Louis Brier Home and Hospital (Vancouver Coastal Health), Village at Mill Creek – second floor, Cottonwoods Care Centre, Spring Valley Care Centre, Kamloops Seniors Village, Hillside Village, The Hamlets at Westsyde, Joseph Creek Care Village, Overlander (Interior Health), Jubilee Lodge (Northern Health) and Victoria Chinatown Care Centre (Island Health)
• acute care: Chilliwack General Hospital (Fraser Health), Fort St. John Hospital (Northern Health) and Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (Interior Health)
• assisted or independent living: Sunset Manor (Fraser Health), David Lloyd Jones, Sun Pointe Village and Hardy View Lodge (Interior Health)

From Sept. 15-21, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 75.5% of cases and from Sept. 8-21, they accounted for 82.6% of hospitalizations.

 

Past week cases (Sept. 15-21) – Total 4,417

• Not vaccinated: 2,996 (67.8%)
• Partially vaccinated: 342 (7.7%)
• Fully vaccinated: 1,079 (24.4%)

Past two weeks cases hospitalized (Sept. 8-21) – Total 437

• Not vaccinated: 327 (74.8%)
• Partially vaccinated: 34 (7.8%)
• Fully vaccinated: 76 (17.4%)

Past week, cases per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (Sept. 15-21)

• Not vaccinated: 289.0
• Partially vaccinated: 87.9
• Fully vaccinated: 27.0

Past two weeks, cases hospitalized per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (Sept. 8-21)

• Not vaccinated: 46.5
• Partially vaccinated: 13.3
• Fully vaccinated: 1.8

After factoring for age, people not vaccinated are 25.8 times more likely to be hospitalized than those fully vaccinated.

 

Since December 2020, the Province has administered 7,756,634 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.

 

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021HLTH0058-001843

[JM_]

8 hours ago, DrJockitch said:

No doctor is going to be able to say we deny service because you made bad choices, we just keep patching you up and saying make better choices. The thanks for that is blame and protests. 
Yes, it is a lot like dealing with teenagers in that this is not in any way about logic, at this point it is emotional and often linked to other issues.  
A lot of what is going on is people that feel powerless want to feel they have power. Sometimes it is because of past traumas, sometimes they just believe they are outsmarting all the public health professionals with their lack of training and misunderstanding of the situation, sometimes they just watch Fox News and believe it is a plot to (fill inthe blank conspiracy theory).  
As a doctor I can’t fix stupid and can’t triage someone away because they fell into a conspiracy theory rabbit hole.  As always we just try to do the best with the staff, facilities and supplies we have.  Whether you decided to jump head first into an empty swimming pool or deny simple, safe preventative measures for a pandemic our job is to try to patch you up and send you out to do the next stupid thing. 

Its interesting, in the US you can turn people away because they can't pay, but it would somehow be unethical to deny treatment based on dumb covid decisions. Something is very wrong there. 

 

Up here, I do wonder if Alberta is going to force doctors to start making these decisions. I wonder how many doctors will walk away from the job if that day really comes? 

[DrJockitch]

Just now, JM_ said:

Its interesting, in the US you can turn people away because they can't pay, but it would somehow be unethical to deny treatment based on dumb covid decisions. Something is very wrong there. 

 

Up here, I do wonder if Alberta is going to force doctors to start making these decisions. I wonder how many doctors will walk away from the job if that day really comes? 

They are getting very close. That would be awful to have to do that as a doctor. COVID has already convinced a lot of doctors that were getting close to retirement to pull the curtains on their careers. 

[Gurn]

Alberta, a province that cancels nurses vacations, by deeming them essential. Have to have them to deal with covid and everything else.  At the same time the government is demanding a reduction in wages during this round of bargaining.

[JM_]

2 minutes ago, gurn said:

Alberta, a province that cancels nurses vacations, by deeming them essential. Have to have them to deal with covid and everything else.  At the same time the government is demanding a reduction in wages during this round of bargaining.

its like 40 years of political incest wasn't a good idea. 

[GSP*]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/promontory-heights-school-chilliwack-covid-19-1.6186455

 

It begins. 

[bishopshodan]

14 minutes ago, DrJockitch said:

They are getting very close. That would be awful to have to do that as a doctor. COVID has already convinced a lot of doctors that were getting close to retirement to pull the curtains on their careers. 

It has been such a marathon for those in health care. I appreciate your pro input on this topic.

 

I hope the burnt out, frustrated, Dr's and nurses know that they are still heroes to many most of us. 

[JM_]

the one word that keeps popping into my head when I read the AB stories is 'avoidable.' It did not need to be this way. 

[Jaimito]

1 hour ago, JM_ said:

the one word that keeps popping into my head when I read the AB stories is 'avoidable.' It did not need to be this way. 

you can lie to people, but you cannot con mother nature.  It's just virus gravity. It will keep infecting susceptible population given the opportunity.

 

Edited September 24, 2021 by Jaimito

[nuckin_futz]

Novavax applies to WHO for emergency listing of COVID-19 vaccine

Sept 23 (Reuters) - Novavax Inc (NVAX.O) and its partner Serum Institute of India have applied to the World Health Organization for an emergency use listing of Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine, potentially clearing the way for the shot to ship to many poorer countries, the company said on Thursday.

 

Novavax has been prioritizing regulatory submissions to low- and middle-income countries after falling behind in the race for authorization in the United States and Europe, which have already vaccinated most of their residents.

 

A WHO listing would allow Novavax to ship to multiple developing nations that rely on WHO guidance for their regulatory decisions.

 

It would also allow Novavax to begin distributing shots through the COVAX facility, which aims to provide equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for low- and middle-income countries.

 

Novavax has already submitted regulatory documents to countries including India, the Philippines and Indonesia.

 

Novavax and India's Serum Institute, the world's largest vaccine producer, have together committed to providing more than 1.1 billion doses to the COVAX facility.

 

COVAX has distributed fewer than 300 million shots to poorer nations, a fraction of the roughly 6 billion shots experts say are needed.

 

The United States earlier this week said it was committing an additional 500 million vaccines made by Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) to COVAX, bringing its total contribution to more than 1 billion shots. read more

 

Novavax had previously said it would apply for WHO authorization in August, marking a slight delay in the filing. It expects to file for regulatory authorization in the United States and European Union in the fourth quarter of 2021.

 

Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine production ramp-up has been fraught with delays and it is unclear how many Novavax shots will be available for the COVAX facility this year. Novavax said in August it was aiming to produce 100 million shots monthly by the end of the third quarter.

 

The Novavax shot is a protein-based vaccine, and was shown to be more than 90% effective, including against a variety of concerning variants of the coronavirus in a large, late-stage U.S.-based clinical trial.

 

Early studies suggest Novavax is effective at protecting against the contagious Delta variant of COVID-19, which has become dominant in many countries.

 

**********************

 

Novavax's Covid19 vaccine has shown the highest effectiveness of all the vaccine's to date. Something like 95%

Edited September 24, 2021 by nuckin_futz

[Gurn]

2 hours ago, gurn said:

Alberta, a province that cancels nurses vacations, by deeming them essential. Have to have them to deal with covid and everything else.  At the same time the government is demanding a reduction in wages during this round of bargaining.

Well if you have any relatives working as a nurse in Alberta-here is some news that might interest them.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/quebec-offers-bonuses-up-to-18-000-to-keep-nurses-in-struggling-health-system/ar-AAOKzNv?ocid=msedgntp

 

"QUEBEC — The Quebec government is budgeting $1 billion to offer full-time nurses bonuses of up to $18,000 as it tries to prevent more of them from leaving the public health-care system and to entice those who have left to come back. 

The one-time bonuses are intended to lure thousands of workers back to the public sector from private placement agencies and retirement, Premier François Legault said Thursday, adding that he hoped they would also convince part-time nurses to switch to full-time work.

 

Nurses have taken care of the rest of us for a long time; today it's our turn to take care of our nurses," Legault said in Quebec City.

He said the plan will lead to a significant reduction in mandatory overtime and improve working conditions following months of pandemic-induced stresses that have contributed to a shortage of more than 4,000 nurses in the public sector.

The province's largest nurses' union, however, said it was disappointed with the announcement because it only intended to reduce the use of mandatory overtime — not eliminate it. 

"We're in a crisis in the province of Quebec, there's a crisis in the health-care system. We're in the fourth wave of COVID and the situation is only worsening," said Roberto Bomba, an executive with the Fédération Interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec, which represents around 76,000 nurses and other health-care professionals. 

"They clearly missed the opportunity to eliminate mandatory overtime," he said in an interview Thursday.

Full-time nurses in the public system will receive one-time bonuses of $15,000, as will part-time nurses who switch to full-time work, Legault said. Nurses who have quit the public health-care network and return full-time will get $12,000.

 

Video: In and out of the system: Quebec nurses struggling to keep up with demands (cbc.ca)

 

 

 

Play Video

In and out of the system: Quebec nurses struggling to keep up with demands

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And for full-time nurses who work in five regions that are hit particularly hard by shortages, including Outaouais and Gaspé, the bonus will be $18,000. In total, the bonuses and other related measures are expected to cost about $1 billion, Legault said. 

Health Minister Christian Dubé said the bonuses are intended to raise the percentage of nurses working full-time to 75 per cent from the current 60 per cent.

"Mandatory overtime will be reduced by adding staff in the short term, but also by moving to full-time," Dubé said. "The more people we have who come into our network, the more we'll stabilize everyone and the less we'll use agencies and the less we'll resort to overtime."

Bomba said the high percentage of nurses on part-time schedules is a result of previous government cost-cutting.

"In 2015, when we were negotiating, we were fighting for full-time positions," he said.

And while Bomba said he hopes the incentives will work, he worries about the fine print. He said he would have liked to see the government introduce incentives for voluntary overtime and fast-track the system negotiated in the new collective agreement to give nurses more predictable schedules.

Dubé said one-third of the bonuses will be paid immediately and two-thirds will be distributed at the end of October 2022.

The incentives will only be available to nurses who are fully vaccinated, Dubé said, adding that around 7,700 health-care workers in the province who are in regular contact with patients have not yet received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Those workers have until Oct. 15 to get fully vaccinated or risk being suspended without pay.

Legault said the province also planned to hire 3,000 administrative staff to help reduce the amount of paperwork for which nurses are currently responsible.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2021.

Jacob Serebrin, The Canadian Press

 

 

[Guest]

I think we are at the stage where it's important to lend out a hand to those that aren't vaccinated yet.  We are risking galvanizing them even more and shunning them from the society. The laws and rules are all in place where they cannot go about their normal life anymore and taking the kind way will help a lot of them bridge over stubbornness. 

 

Does this make sense to anyone or does it only make sense in my head? 

[bishopshodan]

1 minute ago, VancouverHabitant said:

I think we are at the stage where it's important to lend out a hand to those that aren't vaccinated yet.  We are risking galvanizing them even more and shunning them from the society. The laws and rules are all in place where they cannot go about their normal life anymore and taking the kind way will help a lot of them bridge over stubbornness. 

 

Does this make sense to anyone or does it only make sense in my head? 

It makes sense.

 

Empathy is the key to that good old thing called communication. 

[Warhippy]

3 hours ago, GSP* said:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/promontory-heights-school-chilliwack-covid-19-1.6186455

 

It begins. 

Someone posted that 1/4 of all new Sask cases are children and kids....damned scary

[Ghostsof1915]

How the hell did I miss this?

 

 

[stawns]

11 hours ago, bishopshodan said:

It makes sense.

 

Empathy is the key to that good old thing called communication. 

Anyone who isn't yet vaccinated have no intention of getting the jab no matter how much empathy we show them.

[bishopshodan]

19 minutes ago, stawns said:

Anyone who isn't yet vaccinated have no intention of getting the jab no matter how much empathy we show them.

Not true.

My niece and her husband have been anti vaxx ...their patient uncle has discussed at length with them the issues.

 Niece came around first. She got her jab a couple weeks ago. Her husband is loosening up and not hiding as much behind his self implied medical exemption ( he has AS). I don't know if I will get him to consider it more but I will keep trying. He is seeing the big picture more and actually talking about it instead of grumbling nonsense.

 

Empathy, more flies with honey and all that. 

 

[johngould21]

14 hours ago, bishopshodan said:

It has been such a marathon for those in health care. I appreciate your pro input on this topic.

 

I hope the burnt out, frustrated, Dr's and nurses know that they are still heroes to many most of us. 

Like our family, we really appreciate the medical professionals.

14 hours ago, DrJockitch said:

They are getting very close. That would be awful to have to do that as a doctor. COVID has already convinced a lot of doctors that were getting close to retirement to pull the curtains on their careers. 

As my GP did recently.

[johngould21]

2 minutes ago, bishopshodan said:

Not true.

My niece and her husband have been anti vaxx ...their patient uncle has discussed at length with them the issues.

 Niece came around first. She got her jab a couple weeks ago. Her husband is loosening up and not hiding as much behind his self implied medical exemption ( he has AS). I don't know if I will get him to consider it more but I will keep trying. He is seeing the big picture more and actually talking about it instead of grumbling nonsense.

 

Empathy, more flies with honey and all that. 

 

Good for them coming around to the reality. But, and I mean but, when I see all these anti everythings out on the streets protesting, I draw the line. Especially when I see a PPC candidate calling for Dr Henry's arrest.

[bishopshodan]

Just now, johngould21 said:

Good for them coming around to the reality. But, and I mean but, when I see all these anti everythings out on the streets protesting, I draw the line. Especially when I see a PPC candidate calling for Dr Henry's arrest.

Dont get me wrong.

I'm close to wanting to mix the vax into Tim Hortons coffee ( could make it taste any worse).

 

I'm just saying it doesn't do any good to give up on people. We need them to get with the program and yelling back at them is just going to create louder noise.