Quebec: 2021-2024 Covid19 cases

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Source: https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebec-r...ions-1.6232630

Quebec reports no new COVID-19 deaths, 43 fewer hospitalizations
Daniel J. Rowe
CTVNewsMontreal.ca Digital Reporter
Published Jan. 16, 2023 1:02 p.m. EST

The Quebec Ministry of Health reported on Monday that no new deaths would be added to the overall COVID-19 total to start the week.

That number remains 17,811 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

In addition, there are 43 fewer COVID-19-positive patients in Quebec hospitals, dropping that total to 1,946. Of those, 50 people are in intensive care units, an increase of one.

There are 2,073 health-care workers absent from their posts for COVID-19-related reasons...

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Press release

835 Jolliet Blvd.
Baie-Comeau (Quebec) G5C 1P5
Telephone: 418 589-9845
Fax: 418 589-8574
www.cisss-cotenord.gouv.qc.ca

RESTRICTION OF VISITS TO THE MULTISERVICES HEALTH CENTER
AND SOCIAL SERVICES OF THE BASSE-CÔTE-NORD

Baie-Comeau, May 25, 2023 – The Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) of the
Côte-Nord wishes to inform the population of the Lower North Shore that visits are currently
restrictions on the short-term care unit of the Center multiservices de santé et de services sociaux de
the Lower North Shore in Blanc-Sablon due to an outbreak of COVID-19.

Visits are permitted only for caregivers (one at a time) or for reasons
humanitarian (e.g.: person at the end of life). Caregivers with signs of cough or fever
should postpone their visit if possible. If the visit cannot be postponed, you are asked to respect
precautionary measures, including wearing a mask at all times.

In case of visits for humanitarian reasons, precautionary measures must be applied, including
compliance with isolation rules. In addition, in order to protect users and staff, all
employees are currently wearing the mask.

We remind you that washing your hands (with a hydroalcoholic solution or with water and
soap) remains the best way to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, and that no one
showing signs of cough or fever should not report as a visitor.

If you are concerned about your condition or that of a loved one and have questions or concerns,
you can contact the Info-Santé service at any time at 811 to receive advice, or
refer to the quebec.ca website.

Aware of the inconvenience caused by this situation, the CISSS de la Côte-Nord thanks the population
for his cooperation.

- 30 -

Source: Pascal Paradis
Assistant to the CEO – media relations, communications and corporate affairs (interim)
Côte-Nord Integrated Health and Social Services Center
418 589-9845, ext. 252268

https://www.cisss-cotenord.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/internet/cisss-cotenord/Documentation/Communiques_presse/2023/2023-05-25_-_Communique_de_presse_-_Restriction_de_visites_CMSSS_Basse-Cote-Nord.pdf

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CNESST
Long COVID cases continue to rise

Three years after the start of the pandemic and despite several vaccination campaigns, the number of people on sick leave due to long COVID-19 continues to increase in the province, show new data from the Standards Commission, the equity, health and safety at work (CNESST).

Posted at 1:19 a.m. Updated at 5:00 a.m.
Alice Girard-Bossé
ALICE GIRARD-BOSSÉ
THE PRESS

As of September 3, 867 workers had been covered by the CNESST for more than 90 days due to an occupational injury linked to COVID-19. The majority of them come from the health sector. In August 2022, the CNESSST counted 733. The increase over a period of a little over a year is therefore around 18%.

However, these figures only represent a portion of people affected by long-term COVID-19, since they only include infections that have been shown to have been acquired in the workplace. “Imagine all the cases of long COVID which probably have a link to work, but for which the worker is no longer able to establish a link,” illustrates Dr. Anne Bhéreur, family doctor, herself at the faced with long COVID since December 2020.

According to researcher Simon Décary, professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Sherbrooke, this increase in cases is not surprising. “We know that there are cases of long-term COVID-19 that go beyond vaccination. It’s a phenomenon that is seen in all major countries,” he says.

Although vaccination reduces the risk of long-term COVID-19, it does not eliminate it, specifies Dr. Bhéreur .

Available studies show a 15 to 50% reduction in risk. As long as we continue to have cases of COVID-19, we will continue to have cases of long-term COVID-19.
Dr. Anne Bhéreur, family doctor with long COVID

In total, 1,565 workers have received compensation from the CNESST for more than three months due to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Of these, 698 have since returned to work and the average duration of their leave was 230 days. Since these are working days, we can estimate the duration of their work stoppage at approximately one year. “This delay is entirely logical, because moderate cases of long-term COVID-19 last approximately one to two years,” notes Mr. Décary.

" I'm exhausted "

Manon Lapointe is a worker compensated by the CNESST. The 58-year-old nurse contracted COVID-19 in January 2021 while working in the emergency room in the Capitale-Nationale region.

Nearly three years later, Manon Lapointe still lives with persistent symptoms of COVID-19: headaches, shortness of breath, tinnitus, itching and burning sensations on the skin, tachycardia, swallowing problems and memory problems. “My symptoms are so intense and I have so many. I’m exhausted,” she breathes on this subject.

The Quebecer moves around in a wheelchair or with a walker, due to lack of energy. Her daughter helps her with daily tasks, such as meals and grocery shopping.

Despite trying all the medications and vitamins possible, my condition continues to deteriorate. The doctors are powerless.
Manon Lapointe, nurse with long COVID

“I didn’t think I would experience this. I was a person who traveled a lot, I went wild camping, motorcycling, water skiing. It was my daily life, she remembers. I would like to go out, walk outside again. I want to get better. It’s the hope that keeps me going. »

Recently, several avenues have been raised regarding the factors that contribute to long COVID. “A study published a few weeks ago clearly demonstrated that the virus affects the mitochondria, which create energy in our body. This probably explains the problems at the inflammatory level,” says researcher Simon Décary.

The latter also expects to see great advances in clinical pharmacology trials, for possible treatments, in the coming months and years.

NEARLY 1,000 PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED

The back-to-school wave of COVID-19 is increasingly felt in hospitals. Nearly 1,000 hospitalized patients are positive and the number of deaths has jumped over the past week. Quebec currently has 995 people hospitalized with COVID-19. Of this number, only 19 are in intensive care. Over the past week, almost half of positive people have been admitted due to their COVID-19 infection (48%). The province is also seeing a sharp increase in deaths. Quebec has reported 43 deaths over the past week, or 6 per day on average. This is significantly more than the previous week, when 26 deaths were recorded, or less than 4 per day. As since the start of the pandemic, deaths are concentrated among seniors, particularly in the group aged 80 and over. The wave of COVID-19 is affecting the entire province, where the positivity rate continues to increase rapidly.

Pierre-André Normandin, La Presse

https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/covid-19/2023-09-14/cnesst/les-cas-de-covid-longue-continuent-de-grimper.php

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MONTREAL
News

CHUM brings back mask mandate as COVID-19 cases rise

Keila DePape
CTVNews Montreal.ca Digital Reporter
Published Sept. 30, 2023 11:14 a.m. CST

Amid a rise in COVID-19 cases, the University of Montreal Hospital (CHUM) is bringing back its mask mandate starting Monday.

The rule applies to anyone entering a patient’s room or care area—including visitors, staff and physicians, a CHUM spokesperson confirmed in a statement to CTV News on Saturday.

It attributes the move to an increased spread of COVID-19, a growing number of employees testing positive for the virus, and the spread of other respiratory illnesses.
...

https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/chum-brings-back-mask-mandate-as-covid-19-cases-rise-1.6584391

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“Vaccine fatigue” in Quebec despite the rebound in the number of COVID-19 cases

However, the number of daily appointments has increased from 11,500 to 20,000 since Tuesday's reminder.

Daniel Boily
Davide Gentile
Posted at 3:00 a.m. CST

At a press conference on Tuesday, the national director of public health of Quebec spared no effort to convince the population to get vaccinated, particularly against COVID-19, at a time when cases of infections with respiratory viruses multiply.

We have a more contagious JN1 variant [and whose number of cases] doubles every week , said Dr Luc Boileau. According to his estimates, there are currently 40,000 to 50,000 new cases of COVID-19 per day , not forgetting influenza (the flu), which has been taking root for several weeks .

Over the past two weeks, there have been a million Quebecers who have said they have had a respiratory infection , said Dr. Boileau.

...

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2036893/vaccination-covid-influenza-urgences-boileau

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The occupancy rate in Quebec hospitals continues to be very high

The situation in Quebec hospitals shows no sign of respite on Saturday, while the average occupancy rate of emergencies remains well above 100%.

Published yesterday at 4:40 p.m.
THE CANADIAN PRESS

Saturday evening, the Index Santé site reported an overall average rate of 115% in Quebec emergencies, which falls into the “very high” category. This rate was 133% on Wednesday, 136% on Thursday and 127% on Friday.

Only one region, namely Bas-Saint-Laurent at 69%, had a so-called “normal” occupancy rate on Saturday evening. In the other 14, the occupancy rate was either “high” or “very high”.

It was in the Laurentians that the occupancy rate was the highest on Saturday evening, at 143%. The situation was particularly difficult at the Mont-Laurier Hospital, where an occupancy rate of 240% was reported.

In Laval, Montérégie and Outaouais, occupancy rates ranged from 124% to 130%, while it was 123% in Lanaudière and 131% in Chaudière-Appalaches.

On the Montreal side, the occupancy rate stood at 127%. The situation was particularly difficult at the Royal Victoria Hospital, which had an occupancy rate of 212%.

Mauricie–Centre-du-Québec (113%) and Côte-Nord (117%) were the other regions where ridership exceeded 100% and where the lights were red.

The occupancy rate was considered “high” in Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine (82%) and Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean (83%)

No compromise

Earlier this week, the office of Minister of Health Christian Dubé reminded us that “all patients who have urgent needs must go to the emergency room.”

“All patients who have urgent problems will have the necessary care, we will never compromise on health and safety,” we added on this subject.

However, “there is still too large a proportion of patients who go to emergency rooms with viruses who can be treated directly at home or by consulting another health professional,” argued the minister's office.

The latter reminded that other options are available before going to the emergency room, such as winter clinics, 811, the pediatric line and the First Line Access Desk.

“In addition, we are putting in place a central measure to free up more than 500 additional accommodation places over the coming weeks, so that patients, often seniors, who find themselves in hospital and who no longer need to be there, can be in a living environment adapted to their needs,” we promised.

Hospitals continue to be challenged by the circulation of respiratory viruses such as COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus and influenza.

https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/sante/2024-01-06/le-taux-d-occupation-dans-les-hopitaux-du-quebec-continue-d-etre-tres-eleve.php

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Things are better in Quebec emergencies, says Christian Dubé

Posted at 11:29 a.m.
CAROLINE PLANTE
THE CANADIAN PRESS

“We are not out of the woods yet, but there is definitely an improvement,” declared the minister upon his arrival at the pre-sessional caucus of his political party which is being held Wednesday and Thursday in Sherbrooke.

Mr. Dubé said he relied on the most recent data from the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ) “which shows that there is really a drop in viruses”.

“Just before the holidays, I said that we had almost 1,000 more visits to the emergency room every day. We were at more than 10,000. Yesterday, I looked, we were at 8,900,” he said.

“It’s good news, there is a drop in viruses. […] We must continue to be careful, […], but I think it is encouraging that we are getting through this,” added the minister.

More than a stroke of luck, Christian Dubé attributes the improvement in the situation in emergencies to the fact that “a lot of work […] was done by our teams”.

He cited the Anna-Laberge hospital in Montérégie as an example. “They changed certain measures […] and there, suddenly, we saw, over two weeks, there was an improvement in the times on the stretchers.

“So yes, things are better with the viruses, but there is a lot of work that is being done by our teams,” insisted Mr. Dubé in the press scrum.

Last month, two people died in the crowded emergency room of Anna-Laberge hospital . One of the two patients died in the waiting room, reported La Presse .

https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/sante/2024-01-24/ca-va-mieux-dans-les-urgences-du-quebec-affirme-christian-dube.php

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COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surge in midsummer

VINCENT DESBIENS
Tuesday, July 9, 2024 7:00 p.m.

UPDATE Tuesday, July 9, 2024 7:00 p.m.

As the festival season is in full swing in Quebec, experts are closely monitoring the increase in the number of cases and hospitalizations related to COVID-19 that we have observed in recent weeks, even if their level of concern remains quite low.

"We have seen a resurgence of cases in the United States in recent weeks due to the new JN.1, KP.2 and KP.3 variants, and this is a phenomenon that was expected here as well. There are several new cases and hospitalizations are also on the rise," notes microbiologist-infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist Caroline Quach.


The National Institute of Public Health (INSPQ) counted 671 hospitalizations of patients who had a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 in its last report dated July 2.

This new wave of Covid-19 is hitting in the middle of the summer period when there are many trips and gatherings.

The percentage of positive tests has also been increasing since the week of April 7, 2024. According to the most recent data from the INSPQ, 12.9% of the 3,746 eligible tests taken during the week of June 30 obtained a positive result.

"It has nothing to do with what happened last winter, but there is still a significant increase in the percentage," explains Dr. Quach .

New variants

As has happened in recent years, it is the rapid and efficient mutation of the COVID-19 virus that has caused the number of people infected to rise again.

"These variants, including KP.3, are no more dangerous than the others, but they partially escape the immunity of the vaccine. That's how they manage to be transmitted from one person to another," explains Jean Longtin, infectious disease specialist at the CHU de Québec-Université Laval.

This new wave of Covid-19 is hitting in the middle of the summer period when there are many trips and gatherings.

According to Caroline Quach, the increase in the number of trips outside the country during the summer holidays partly explains how the new mutations of the virus were able to make their way to La Belle Province quickly.

"Over time, herd immunity wanes and these new variants are able to better bypass our defenses when we bring them back here. When the last dose starts to get old, we lose antibodies."

This new wave of Covid-19 is hitting in the middle of the summer period when there are many trips and gatherings.

She points out that pharmaceutical companies that produce vaccines are working hard to deliver a new product that will better combat the new variants by early fall.


Not a seasonal virus

The year 2024 was expected to be the first without two waves of COVID-19. The last few weeks have put an end to this hope that the virus that humanity has been grappling with since 2020 would enter the category of seasonal respiratory viruses.

"We seemed to be heading for this, but that is less the case today. COVID-19 stands out for its ability to mutate and we have to know how to adapt," concludes Dr. Longtin .

https://www.journaldequebec.com/2024/07/09/hausse-des-cas-de-covid-19-et-des-hospitalisations-en-plein-ete

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Analysis |More cases of COVID-19 in Quebec this summer than during the pandemic?

Noovo Info
Published on July 24, 2024 at 7:09 p.m.
Updated July 24, 2024 at 7:18 p.m.

COVID-19 cases reportedly spiked in Quebec this summer.

According to epidemiologist Nimâ Machouf, the current number of COVID-19 cases is higher than during the pandemic.

"We are seeing double the number of cases compared to last year," explained Ms. Machouf on Wednesday on the airwaves of Noovo Info.

What explains this resurgence of the virus compared to recent summers? Dr. Machouf suggests that the end of security measures has something to do with it.

“We no longer pay attention, we no longer wear masks.”

Although the rise in COVID-19 cases is "still worrying", the number of deaths is lower.

"We have all received at least three vaccines and the vast majority of the population has been infected at least once," she recalled.

Dr. Machouf warns that we must, however, be vigilant about the virus.

"We have to be careful and not think that it is completely over," she concluded.

https://www.noovo.info/chronique/deux-fois-plus-de-cas-de-covid-19-au-quebec-cet-ete-que-pendant-la-pandemie.html

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Summer surge in COVID-19 cases appears to be here to stay

"It's difficult to understand why we have an increase [at this time of year] when we still live outside a lot," says Professor Nathalie Grandvaux.

Leo Mercier-Ross
Published yesterday at 4:56 p.m.
Updated yesterday at 5:15 p.m.

Cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations related to the virus have been on the rise since the beginning of July in Quebec. A scenario that has been repeated for two years and which suggests that this summer increase in cases will occur again in the coming years, according to a respiratory virus specialist.

“It’s hard to understand why we have an increase [at this time of year] when we’re still living outside a lot, we haven’t yet returned to school, etc.,” says Nathalie Grandvaux, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at the Université de Montréal. This year, the increase in summer cases is somewhat early compared to previous years, when early August was the norm, notes the specialist.

During the week of April 7, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) recorded 290 cases of COVID-19. Three months later, during the week of July 14, the INSPQ counted 1,855. These data underestimate the reality, because they only include PCR test results and reported rapid test results.

Respiratory virus outbreaks, such as COVID-19, generally occur during the winter period. “They are seasonal and often linked to the temperature and the fact that we are indoors a lot and outdoors less, at least for countries like Canada,” explains Professor Grandvaux, giving the example of the flu, which generally returns in winter.

This does not mean that Quebecers are spared from COVID-19 in winter. In 2023, the increase in infections that began in late July peaked in the week of December 10, 2023, with 6,261 positive tests recorded by the INSPQ. The curve then fell back down until March 2024, when cases of infection became low again.

One of the factors that could explain the summer increase would be vaccination, which would lose its effectiveness.

“The most vulnerable people generally get vaccinated in the fall, so by the time we get to August, the effectiveness of the vaccination is less there. So, that could be one of the factors in the increase in cases in August, [which causes] more hospitalizations and also more deaths,” says Nathalie Grandvaux. “But again, we don’t have any data,” she adds.

Is it the fault of new variants ?

By email, the INSPQ indicates that "a summer increase is a phenomenon that has already been observed when new variants circulate. For example, the KP.3 and KP.2 sublineages appeared a few weeks ago and are now predominant. SARS-CoV-2 [COVID-19 virus] does not currently have a seasonal profile comparable to other viruses and it is impossible to predict when or if such seasonality could be observed."

Nathalie Grandvaux believes that it is not necessarily the variants that are responsible for the increase, recalling that they were present in Quebec in April and that cases were not on the rise at that time. In addition, the variants "do not change the symptoms or the severity. It is more a question of vulnerable people who are infected, or not, [among whom] we see hospitalizations or deaths," she explains.

Good news regarding the fight against the KP.2 and KP.3 variants: “the vaccines that should be approved for vaccination for the fall will cover these variants,” emphasizes Ms. Grandvaux .

Precautions remain necessary

The virology expert also emphasizes that the main solution to avoid getting sick with COVID-19 is to be "up to date with your vaccinations." "That's the key word to remember."

Getting tested as soon as you have symptoms is also a good reflex to have. “In the summer, it’s very unlikely that it’s the flu or that it’s RSV [respiratory syncytial virus],” she says. Even if “it could be a classic cold, it’s always good to get tested to find out if you’ve had COVID-19, given the potential risks of long-term effects,” says Nathalie Grandvaux.

The Quebec government website states that "the majority" of screening tests expire 24 months after the manufacturing date, which is indicated on the box, and that they "can be thrown in the trash" if their shelf life has passed. An expired test can "give a false negative," the professor says.

Whether the test is positive or not, "when you have symptoms, whether they are those of COVID-19 or other respiratory symptoms, you should take measures to avoid spreading the infection," recalls Ms. Grandvaux .

https://www.ledevoir.com/societe/sante/817341/hausse-estivale-cas-covid-19-semble-rester

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Cases on the rise: 110 CHSLDs affected by COVID-19 outbreaks

QMI Agency| Published on August 22, 2024 at 1:35 p.m.

Seniors are still on the front lines of COVID-19 outbreaks as 110 long-term care homes (CHSLDs) are affected by cases, according to the latest data from the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ).

54 hospitals have also been added to this list of establishments dealing with an active outbreak of the virus as of the week of August 11.

For comparison, 8 CHSLDs and 10 hospitals reported a COVID-19 outbreak in the week of April 28. This number has continued to increase since then.

Across the population, the positivity rate reached 21.4% in the week of August 18, with 1,175 positive tests out of 5,431 received. Remember that not everyone gets a lab test when they have COVID-19.

Hospitalizations also continue to increase in the province, where there were 1,255 beds occupied due to the virus as of August 20.

Since the beginning of August, the INSPQ has also recorded around thirty deaths each week.

https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2024/08/22/des-cas-en-hausse-110-chsld-touches-par-des-eclosions-de-covid-19