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The number of respiratory syncytial virus cases in Manitoba reported in the past week was nearly twice the number recorded the week before, while an influx of influenza lab tests led to a delay in documenting those cases, the province’s latest respiratory virus surveillance report says.
Manitoba Health recorded 80 RSV cases from Nov. 27 to Dec. 3, the latest reporting week. That compares to 43 RSV cases for the week of Nov. 20-26.
The RSV test positivity rate was four per cent for the latest reporting period, up from 2.2 per cent.
The latest report says the total number of influenza A cases reported is now 989 — up from 586 the week before.
However, the latest report says “due to an influx of influenza laboratory reports this respiratory season, Manitoba Health is experiencing delays in the documentation of laboratory results” in its information management system.
Because of that, flu case counts for the current week are lower than expected, the report says. That data is expected to updated in next week’s report.
The provincial report does not give exact numbers of severe flu-related outcomes, such as hospitalizations or deaths, but says the numbers of flu-related hospital admissions, intensive care admissions and deaths in the reporting week were all under five.
There have been a total of 12 flu-related deaths this year, the report says.
Children under the age of five, who have the highest risk of flu infection, accounted for 12 per cent of all influenza cases and 20 per cent of hospital admissions for the week, the report says.
Emergency departments saw 2,302 visits related to respiratory illnesses.
COVID-19 activity decreasing
Meanwhile, COVID-19 activity decreased for the week, according to the report.
The number of cases being reported in Manitoba continues to decrease, but that number is considered a significant undercount due to limited testing offered by public health.
Between Nov. 27 and Dec. 3, the COVID-19 test positivity rate was 14.5 per cent, down from 15.4 per cent the week prior and a significant drop from 24.5 per cent in early November.
There were 76 people admitted to hospital with the illness, including seven who needed intensive care, for the latest reporting week. Those numbers are down from 82 hospital admissions, including 19 to ICU, the week before.
The total number of reported deaths from COVID-19 rose by eight between the two reporting periods.
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