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
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.