ICU doctor cautiously optimistic about looming impact of 4th COVID-19 wave in Manitoba
A Manitoba critical care doctor and infectious diseases specialist remains cautiously optimistic when it comes to the impact of the fourth wave in Manitoba.
It comes as Alberta and Saskatchewan deal with a surge in cases and capacity issues in hospitals.
Dr. Anand Kumar points to Manitoba’s move earlier this summer to reintroduce mask mandates and proof of vaccination requirements and the percentage of eligible Manitobans who are fully vaccinated but he said we’re not out of the woods yet.
“I think we are going to see an increase in activity but my hope is that it will be sufficiently blunted,” he said. “That we don’t see the kind of overwhelming hospital strain and ICU strain that they’re seeing in Alberta and Saskatchewan and that we saw, frankly, back in May and June.”
During the third wave Manitoba’s health system was so overwhelmed, 57 patients requiring critical care had to be sent to either Ontario, Saskatchewan or Alberta.
Now, Saskatchewan and Alberta are dealing with a spike in hospitalizations and not enough beds to care for patients who are mostly unvaccinated.
Kumar said as a health-care provider he’d like to be able to help those two provinces in their time of crisis.
“I think everybody here very much wants to help our friends and neighbours in Alberta but as to whether we can make much of an impact, given where we are, I think that’s very much in question and the powers that be are going to have to make that decision,” Kumar said. “But I have no doubt that every doctor, every nurse, everybody who works in the hospital would very much like to help, if we’re able to.”
Even without a drastic spike in COVID-19 patients, numbers show Manitoba’s intensive care units are already stretched beyond normal capacity.
As of midnight, Shared Health said Thursday there were a total of 81 patients in ICUs with 14 of those patients receiving care for COVID-19. Provincial data shows only one of those patients is fully vaccinated. Before the pandemic, the normal baseline capacity for the critical care system was 72 patients.
So far Manitoba isn’t assisting with surge capacity in the other prairie provinces. Paul Merriman, Saskatchewan’s health minister, said in a statement the province has created its own surge capacity while Alberta will receive assistance from the federal government.
A Manitoba government spokesperson said Thursday conversations are ongoing between provincial health officials and at this point in time Manitoba is offering pharmaceutical assistance to Alberta.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.