[ad_1]
Breadcrumb Trail Links
Local News
But advocates say the province isn’t doing enough to prevent another ‘triple-demic’ similar to last fall
Article content
Alberta’s health minister is asking families to be vigilant about the spread of respiratory illnesses this fall as student absences remain high, COVID hospitalizations hit 417 and the E. coli outbreak continues to affect young children.
But advocates say the province isn’t doing enough to prevent another “triple-demic” similar to last fall, when hundreds of kids and teachers fell ill from COVID, the flu or RSV, while school and hospital resources were stretched to the limit.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Article content
In an update directed to parents this week, Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said she understands the anxiety that comes with sending children back to school, asking everyone to share in ensuring the health and safety of children and their families.
“It is our collective responsibility to create a safer, healthier environment for everyone — especially during the fall season when we see increases in respiratory viruses like influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19,” LaGrange said.
“Now that we will be spending more time indoors, we need to make doubly sure we are following proper hygiene protocols like handwashing and staying home when sick. It also means respecting those who choose to wear a mask.
“These daily practices will play a pivotal role in safeguarding the public and curbing the spread of infectious diseases.”
More guidance needed: advocate
But Amanda Hu, spokeswoman for the Fresh Air Schools advocacy group, argued the province needs to do more in setting specific guidelines and policies to prevent the spread of serious illnesses.
Headline News
Article content
Advertisement 3
Article content
“When you just say it’s OK to wear a mask, that is not the same as encouraging people to wear a mask as a preventive measure. But we have heard that from Health Canada,” Hu said, referring to chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam’s recommendation last week that Canadians wear masks this fall.
In an update Tuesday on the E. coli outbreak, which continues to be investigated after 348 lab-confirmed cases linked to several local daycares, LaGrange was specifically asked whether she would encourage masking as Health Canada has done.
But LaGrange would only say Albertans should wear masks if they “feel comfortable” doing so.
COVID cases, hospitalizations rising
In her message to parents, LaGrange also provided new data for COVID cases and hospitalizations, numbers that have not been released by the province since reporting stopped at the end of July.
“For COVID-19, from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8 there were a total of 559 cases and 92 hospitalizations, with three intensive-care unit admissions. Sadly, five Albertans died during that period due to COVID-19.”
As of Sept. 8, LaGrange added, 417 people were in hospital, including seven in the ICU.
Advertisement 4
Article content
As a comparison, when numbers were last reported July 24, AHS data showed 242 hospitalizations, seven people in the ICU and 28 newly reported cases from the previous day.
“The numbers we’re looking at today, they are very high compared to summer and that’s greatly concerning. Yet we don’t seem to be doing anything differently,” Hu said.
No new E. coli cases as investigation into source of outbreak continues
NACI recommends Canadians get updated COVID vaccine this fall
Absence rates due to illness double in first week and a half at Calgary public schools
Confluence of COVID-19, flu and RSV significantly strain Calgary hospitals this fall: experts
“If you look to the U.S., which is always a few weeks ahead of us, hospitalizations for kids in terms of COVID and other respiratory illness are very high right now.
“We saw what happened last winter, with what many called the ‘triple-demic,’ and we don’t want to see that again.”
LaGrange added that in the coming weeks the province will launch a “refreshed reporting dashboard” with data on COVID-19, RSV and influenza.
Advertisement 5
Article content
Schools seeing absences due to illness
Meanwhile, school absences due to illness have more than doubled in the first two weeks of classes at the Calgary Board of Education.
A few days after classes began Aug. 31, absence rates due to illness were posted Sept. 5 at 1.7 per cent, or 2,326 kids away. By Sept. 11, that number more than doubled to 5,427 students away due to illness, and an overall rate of four per cent absenteeism across all grades.
On Sept. 15, absence rates reached 4.3 per cent, then dipped slightly after the weekend, with a 3.7 per cent absence rate on Sept. 18 and up to 4,985 students absent, still twice as many as the first week.
CBE officials are also asking students to be vigilant about handwashing and staying home when sick, but making no specific recommendations to students or staff to wear masks.
eferguson@postmedia.com
Article content
Share this article in your social network
[ad_2]
Source link
