COVID-19 Hospitalizations, ICU Admissions and Deat
Post# of 148154
Interesting study from Canada about VOCs (Variants of Concern) was posted yesterday. Stats are based on a study of over 26,000 positive cases in Ontario. I posted the entire summary below (red emphasis is mine). If you want to read the full text, use the following link. One would think that Health Canada has this in mind as they review the Leronlimab data CYDY submitted.
https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/sciencebrief/...f-concern/
New variants of concern (VOCs) now account for 67% of all Ontario SARS-CoV-2 infections. Compared with early variants of SARS-CoV-2, VOCs are associated with a 63% increased risk of hospitalization, a 103% increased risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and a 56% increased risk of death due to COVID-19.
VOCs are having a substantial impact on Ontario’s healthcare system. On March 28, 2021, the daily number of new SARS-CoV-2 infections in Ontario reached the daily number of cases observed near the height of the second wave, at the start of the province-wide lockdown, on December 26, 2020.
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 is now 21% higher than at the start of the province-wide lockdown, while ICU occupancy is 28% higher. The percentage of COVID-19 patients in ICUs who are younger than 60 years is about 50% higher now than it was prior to the start of the province-wide lockdown.
Because the increased risk of COVID-19 hospitalization, ICU admission and death with VOCs is most pronounced 14 to 28 days after diagnosis, there will be significant delays until the full burden to the health care system becomes apparent.
Background
As of March 28, 2021 new variants of concern (VOCs) account for 67% of all Ontario SARS-CoV-2 infections. The B.1.1.7 variant originally detected in Kent, United Kingdom accounts for more than 90% of all VOCs in Ontario, with emerging evidence that it is both more transmissible and virulent.
Findings
A retrospective cohort study of 26,314 people in Ontario testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 between February 7 and March 11, 2021, showed that 9,395 people (35.7%) infected with VOCs had a 62% relative increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations (odds ratio [OR] 1.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.41 to 1.87), a 114% relative increase in ICU admissions (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.52 to 3.02), and a 40% relative increase in COVID-19 deaths (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.94), after adjusting for age, sex and comorbidities.
A meta-analysis including the Ontario cohort study and additional cohort studies in the United Kingdom and Denmark showed that people infected with VOCs had a 63% higher risk of hospitalization (RR 1.63, 95% CI 1.44 to 1.83), a doubling of the risk of ICU admission (RR 2.03, 95% CI 1.69 to 2.45), and a 56% higher risk of all-cause death (RR 1.56, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.87). Estimates observed in different studies and regions were completely consistent, and the B.1.1.7 variant was dominant in all three jurisdictions over the study periods.
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 on March 28, 2021, is 21% higher than at the start of the province-wide lockdown during the second wave on December 26, 2020, while ICU occupancy is 28% higher.
Between December 14 to 20, 2020, there were 149 new admissions to ICU; people aged 59 years and younger accounted for 30% of admissions. Between March 15, 2021 and March 21, 2021, there were 157 new admissions to ICU; people aged 59 years and younger accounted for 46% of admissions.
Interpretation
The new VOCs will result in a considerably higher burden to Ontario’s health care system during the third wave compared to the impact of early SARS-CoV-2 variants during Ontario’s second wave.
Since the start of the third wave on March 1, 2021, the number of new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the COVID-19 hospital and ICU occupancies have surpassed prior thresholds at the start of the province-wide lockdown on December 26, 2020.