COVID-19: MLHU reports 2 deaths, LHSC caring for 153 inpatients

Jump to: Hospitalizations – Cases and testing – Outbreaks – Vaccinations – Ontario – Elgin and Oxford – Huron and Perth – Sarnia and Lambton

The Middlesex-London Health Unit reported two deaths and 224 COVID-19 cases on Friday, a day after reporting six deaths.

The two deaths reported Friday both involve men in their 80s. One was associated with a retirement home and the other was not associated with any long-term care or retirement residence.

Based on a graph of the vaccination status of all deaths in the previous six weeks, the two were fully vaccinated.

The London Health Sciences Centre, meanwhile, reported 153 COVID-19 inpatients in its care. Last Friday, LHSC was caring for 132 COVID-19 inpatients.

As noted, LHSC is caring for 153 inpatients with COVID-19, up from 132 a week ago.

Of those, 22 are in adult critical care, compared to 21 a week ago.

Six of the 153 are in Children’s Hospital, with zero in pediatric critical care. Last Friday, six were in Children’s Hospital with five or fewer in pediatric critical care.

Of the 153 patients, 91 are being treated for COVID-19 while 62 others in hospital have incidental COVID-19 infections (meaning they were admitted for another reason). Last Friday, those figures were 78 and 54, respectively. LHSC has been reporting those figures since Jan. 10.

“We’ve certainly confirmed and found every single day that the majority of people that are here that are positive (for) COVID would not be in hospital if they didn’t have COVID,” chief medical officer Dr. Adam Dukelow told Global News on Friday.

“But because the prevalence of the disease is so high in the community and there’s so many people with it that we’re also seeing a large, large number of people that have it just incidentally and are here for another reason.”

Dukelow added that regardless of whether someone attends hospital due to COVID-19 or if they attend for another reason and are found to have COVID-19 after being tested during admission, hospitals have to use more resources in terms of infection control measures.

Among staff, there are 297 cases, down from 511 a week ago.

There are several outbreaks at LHSC at St. Joseph’s Health Care London. Further information can be found in the Outbreaks section, below.

St. Joseph’s Health Care London reported 16 cases among patients or residents in its care as of Thursday and 99 health-care workers with COVID-19, compared to 77 patient/resident cases and 132 staff cases a week ago.

Among the 16 patient/resident cases, seven are at Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care and nine are at Parkwood Institute Main Building.

As mentioned, the MLHU reported two deaths on Friday involving men in their 80s. Both were fully vaccinated and one was associated with a retirement home.

The MLHU reported 224 cases Friday, compared to 253 a week ago. Due to changes in eligibility for PCR testing, daily case counts are no longer considered a fully reliable reflection of COVID-19 activity in the region.

The Middlesex-London Health Unit says individuals who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should consider themselves to be positive for COVID-19 and self-isolate.

The health unit has provided information on what to do if you develop symptoms, test positive on a rapid test or PCR test or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive.

In total, there have been 27,257 confirmed cases since the onset of the pandemic, including 2,524 active cases (a decrease of 65), 24,451 resolved cases (an increase of 294) and 282 deaths (an increase of two).

The test positivity rate for the week of Jan. 9 was 22.4 per cent, down from 24 per cent the week of Jan. 2 and 28.3 per cent the week of Dec. 26, 2021.

The Salvation Army Centre of Hope said the MLHU had declared an outbreak at the shelter on Wednesday. As of Thursday evening, nine clients had tested positive for COVID-19 and another nine were identified as close contacts.

LHSC is reporting the following outbreaks:

A previously reported outbreak at Victoria Hospital’s B7-200 Adult Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit, declared Dec. 31, involving seven patient cases and five or fewer staff cases, is no longer listed as active by LHSC.

St. Joseph’s Health Care London is reporting the following outbreaks:

Outbreaks at Parkwood Institute Main Building’s 4AE and 4AN units have ended.

The MLHU is reporting the following institutional outbreaks:

A previously reported outbreak at Westmount Gardens, Daisy Unit, declared Jan. 3, was listed as resolved as of Jan. 20.

The MLHU announced Thursday that the mass vaccination clinic at Earl Nichols Recreation Centre is now accepting walk-ins.

As of the end of day Jan. 15, 89.1 per cent of residents aged five and older in the region have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine while 83.2 per cent have had two doses.

The percentage of people who’ve received third doses climbed to 38.5 per cent from 31.8 per cent. Note that those under 18 are not currently eligible for a third dose.

First dose coverage for those aged five to 11 stands at 54.1 per cent.

Health unit data shows that since Dec. 10, 34.48 per cent of hospitalized cases have involved people who were unvaccinated. Note that unvaccinated residents make up only 10.9 per cent of the region’s five-and-older population as of Jan. 15.

Of the 24 deaths reported in the past six weeks, 18 involved fully vaccinated individuals and eight involved unvaccinated individuals.

On the health unit’s website, residents can find information on pop-up clinics, mass vaccination clinics and pharmacies, as well as guidance for anyone vaccinated outside of the province or country, transportation support for those in need and more.

Ontario reported 4,114 people in hospital with COVID on Friday (54 per cent admitted because of the virus) with 590 in intensive care units (82 per cent admitted because of the virus).

Last Friday, hospitalizations were at 3,814, with the number of people in ICUs at 527.

The province also reported 7,165 new infections Friday, though that is an underestimate due to recent testing restrictions. Another 62 deaths were also recorded.

Southwestern Public Health will hold two pop-up clinics specifically for staff in school, school support or child-care settings, as well as children aged five-to-11 and their parents, and staff in long-term care or retirement homes.

One clinic will be held at the Ontario Police College on Jan. 21 and the other at the Tillsonburg Community Centre on Jan. 25. Both run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments can be booked online through the “targeted populations” priority designation or over the phone at 1-800-922-0096 x 9 on weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Southwestern Public Health reported 52 hospitalizations on Friday, compared to 27 a week ago. Ten are in the ICU, up from seven a week ago.

The test positivity rate for the week of Jan. 9 was 16.5 per cent, down from 19.5 per cent the week of Jan. 2.

As for cases, SWPH is reporting:

The death reported Friday involved a woman in her 70s and was tied to the Woodingford Lodge Outbreak in Woodstock.

There are active outbreaks at the following long-term homes, retirement homes and hospitals:

A previous outbreak at Woodingford Lodge, Tillsonburg, declared Jan. 11 and involving six staff cases, is no longer listed as active.

As of Jan. 19, 77.2 per cent of those aged five and older in the region had received two doses of the vaccine, while 82.4 per cent have had at least one dose.

Further information on where and how to get vaccinated can be found on the health unit’s website.

The health unit encouraged people to join its Same-Day Vaccination List, which offers any leftover doses due to cancellations or no-shows.

Global News is awaiting Friday’s data from Huron Perth Public Health.

On Thursday, Huron Perth Public Health reported eight people were in hospital with COVID-19, compared to nine a week ago.

Of those, four are considered to be active cases.

Data on the number of health-care workers with active COVID-19 infections was not available but it was reported at 130 on Wednesday. Last Thursday, HPPH reported 95 health-care workers with active cases of COVID-19.

For the week of Jan. 9, the test positivity rate was 10 per cent, down from 11 per cent the week of Jan. 2.

In total, HPPH reported:

The number of active cases and the number of recoveries were not available but as of Wednesday, the figures were 1,294 and 3,248, respectively.

The most recent deaths were reported on Jan. 11 when two deaths were added to the tally, no further details were provided.

There are 14 active outbreaks reported by HPPH, including nine at long-term care or retirement homes:

HPPH is reporting five outbreaks at congregate living settings but no further details were provided.

A previously reported outbreak at Stratford General Hospital, declared Jan. 7, involving three patients and eight staff members, is no longer listed as active.

As of Jan. 17, 83.9 per cent of residents aged five and older have had at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose while 79.1 per cent are fully vaccinated. Third-dose coverage stands at 45.4 per cent of those five and older, though those under the age of 18 are not eligible for a third dose.

Information on how and where to get a vaccine can be found on the health unit’s website.

Bluewater Health reported 53 patients in hospital with confirmed COVID-19, compared to 41 a week ago. Of those 53, nine are in the ICU.

Lambton Public Health is reporting the average ICU occupancy was at 78 per cent for the week of Jan. 9, down from 95 per cent for the week of Jan. 2.

The test positivity rate for the week of Jan. 9 was 31.8 per cent, up from 28.5 per cent the week prior.

On Friday, Lambton Public Health reported:

The most recent deaths were reported on Jan. 19, no details were provided.

LPH reported 17 active outbreaks as of Friday, including at the following congregate living facilities:

A previous outbreak at St. Francis Advocates in Petrolia, declared Jan. 7 and involving fewer than five residents and fewer than five staff/caregivers, was declared over Jan. 20.

There are outbreaks at the following long-term care and retirement homes:

There are two hospital outbreaks and a jail outbreak. The outbreak at Sarnia Jail in Sarnia was declared Jan. 8 and involves 32 inmates and fewer than five staff members.

One outbreak at Bluewater Health in Sarnia declared Jan. 7 involves 15 patients and 10 staff members. A second outbreak at Bluewater Health was declared Jan. 14 and involves seven patients and 12 staff members.

There are two outbreaks in unidentified workplaces, one declared Jan. 17 and involving three cases and one declared Jan. 11 involving six cases.

Among area residents aged five and older, 82 per cent have had at least one dose of vaccine, 77 per cent have had two doses and 41 per cent have had a third dose. Note that those under 18 are not currently eligible for a third dose.

Residents can book and re-book COVID-19 vaccine appointments or find information on vaccine availability at pharmacies using the health unit’s registration page. People can also contact the vaccine call centre at 226-254-8222.

Those who are able to get vaccinated on short notice are encouraged to sign up for Lambton Public Health’s daily Vaccine Standby List.

— with files from Gabby Rodrigues

by 980 CFPL