According to the latest data (New window) from the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ), almost a million Quebecers fell ill with a respiratory infection in the week of December 10 alone. Between 30 and 40% of these infections were caused by SARS-CoV-2.
Therefore, it is not surprising that hospitals in Quebec are overcrowded. Health Minister Christian Dubé yesterday called on the population to work together to reduce the pressure on emergencies, where the occupancy sometimes exceeds 200%.
INSPQ estimates that more than 2.6 million Quebecers contracted a respiratory infection between early November and December 17. It is estimated that between 650,000 and 967,000 of these people are infected with SARS-CoV-2.
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Since the beginning of October, around 25% of Quebec's population has contracted COVID-19.
Since August, the positivity rate for COVID-19 has been above 10%, indicating very high community transmission. It has been over 20% since the beginning of November.
The last time we observed such high rates was in December 2021, when the Omicron variant hit the population severely.
While the number of cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) appears to have plateaued, the flu began appearing around mid-November. The flu test positivity rate was about 10% as of December 16th.
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As of Dec. 19, nearly 2,500 Quebecers who tested positive for COVID-19 have been hospitalized. This time last year there were around 2,700 people.
COVID-19 continues to cause deaths, and the number of deaths in the fall of 2023 is almost identical to that of 2022.
In October 2023, 391 Quebecers died from COVID-19; in November there were 275. By December 16, more than 260 deaths had been registered.
In comparison, 315 Quebecers died from COVID-19 in October 2022; 304 in November 2022; and 450 in December 2022.
Since the start of the pandemic, 19,230 Quebecers have died from COVID-19.
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Health authorities expect the increase in the number of respiratory infections to be noticeable for several weeks.
There is high growth potential for COVID and influenza in particular. We don't know when it will fall. It is increasing rapidly in the West and Ontario, said national public health director Dr. Luc Boileau, on Tuesday, indicating that the presence of a new variant, JN.1, is causing this new increase in cases.
As of early December, the most recent date for variant data, about 45% of COVID-19 cases in Quebec were caused by JN.1, an Omicron subvariant. The World Health Organization said this week that JN.1 is now a variant of interest.
Dr. Boileau reminded that it is not too late to get vaccinated. Canadian figures show only 15% of the population aged 5 and over have received a new dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
This year in Quebec, vaccination against COVID-19 and influenza will be offered free of charge to everyone aged 6 months and over. It is recommended to receive a dose when at least six months have passed since the last dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Boileau also suggests that sick people — regardless of the respiratory virus in question — wear a mask until symptoms disappear and avoid being near vulnerable people for 10 days.