New study identifies who's most vulnerable to COVID-19 in Manitoba
A new study has determined that people who live in Northern Manitoba, those who have a lower income, or people who live in long-term care facilities are the most vulnerable to COVID-19 in Manitoba.
The University of Manitoba study titled ‘Patterns and descriptors of COVID-19 testing and lab-confirmed COVID-19 incidence in Manitoba, Canada, March 2020-May 2021: A population-based study, used data from every lab-confirmed COVID-19 case in the province between March 2020 and May 2021.
Dr. Christiaan Righolt, lead author of the study and researcher at the Rady Faculty of Health Science’s Vaccine and Drug Evaluation Centre, said this is the first comprehensive report on COVID-19 risk factors in Manitoba.
“Our results include testing, incidence and positivity rates for specific population groups in Manitoba and the relative risk of these groups being affected by COVID and its severe outcomes,” Righolt said in a news release.
Other findings include that the severity of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in children was low, but that they did have a high risk of asymptomatic positivity, meaning kids are more likely to be asymptomatic carriers.
The study also found that secondary cases and super spreading was more common in the populations vulnerable to COVID-19, such as those with lower incomes.
“We hope that these findings can inform the public health response to COVID-19, and that they can help decision makers assess their local risks of COVID-19,” Righolt said.
The research team involved in the study is now collaborating with other provinces to combine their data, evaluate the protection of different vaccines, and look into data for people who were infected with COVID-19 after their vaccination.
All the data for the study came from clinical and administrative registries as well as a Manitoba Health database.
“Going forward in this pandemic there is still lots of work left to do in evaluating vaccine effectiveness. Part of being able to evaluate that is understanding testing and incidence patterns, this paper does that for Manitoba,” Righolt said.
“It paints a comprehensive view of who is tested and who is diagnosed with the disease.”
The university notes the study’s findings are consistent with research out of the U.S., which determined that low income and racialized populations are most at-risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Another suspect arrested in Toronto Pearson airport gold heist: police
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Trump hush money trial: Play-by-play on Day 2 of Stormy Daniels testimony
Adult film star Stormy Daniels took the stand for a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump's hush money case continues in Manhattan.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street
B.C. wildfires likely to spread with weekend temperatures expected to soar, province says
Wildfire and emergency management officials in British Columbia are urging residents to be prepared for increased fire activity as temperatures are expected to soar above 30 C in parts of the province this weekend.
Wilfrid Laurier football player drafted despite only playing 27 games in his entire life
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.