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
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.