Cases are rising in the short term but kind of flat over a longer period. Positivity is creeping upwards, and the number in hospital is rising slowly. Wastewater is going up slowly in Fraser Health, flattish everywhere else. Anecdotally, lots of people “have a cold” right now. (It’s not “a cold”, it’s COVID-19, as I… Continue reading 2024-09-07 BC
Category: BC
2024-08-31 BC
Hospitals This article (2024-08-29) reports that Mission Memorial Hospital was going to turn away serious patients away beginning at 8 p.m. on Thursday, August 29 until Friday, August 30 at 8 a.m. This article (2024-08-28) reports that in order to do the switch from paper-based to fully-electronic records at Royal Columbian Hospital, they are going… Continue reading 2024-08-31 BC
2024-08-26 BC
Hospitals Recent hospital closures: Party! The Clean Air Festival is happening in Vancouver on 15 September at Slocan Park (and livestreamed). It’s outdoors and N95-class masks are required! First Nations This article (2024-08-21) reports that Indigenous life expectancy in B.C. fell from 73.3 years in 2017 to 67.2 years in 2021. It fell for 6.8… Continue reading 2024-08-26 BC
2024-08-11 BC
Hospitals There have been more staffing-related closures at hospital emergency rooms this week: Wastewater From Jeff’s wastewater spreadsheet:
2024-08-03 BC
It looks like levels are flat or maybe going down a little bit, which I find surprising because the USA is going bonkers with COVID-19 right now. Hospitals This article (2024-08-02) reports that BC hospitals’ Emergency Departments — including some in Metro Van — have continued to have trouble staying open due to physician shortages.… Continue reading 2024-08-03 BC
2024-07-30 BC
Hospitals This article (2024-07-23) reports that patients were turned away from Mission Memorial Hospital on Tuesday 20 July due to lack of staff. Patients were directed to go to different hospitals. This article (2024-07-26) says that Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital in Clearwater closed for the night of 25 July due to lack of staff. Mitigation… Continue reading 2024-07-30 BC
2024-07-14 General/BC
COVID-19 Personal Recommendation Y’know how I sung the praises of the Readimask a few weeks ago? I need to admit that I’ve had some trouble with a gap forming under my chin, especially in hot (i.e. sweaty) weather. I still like the Readimasks, and have fixed the problem for me with a piece of medical… Continue reading 2024-07-14 General/BC
2024-07-07 BC
Cases are going up, hospitalizations are up, positivity is up, wastewater is… being strange. COVID-19 Statistics Edit: when I published this, I erroneously gave statistics for the previous month. I updated the numbers on 1 August when I discovered it. As of um some date? probably 4 July, the BC CDC situation report says that in the… Continue reading 2024-07-07 BC
2024-06-29 General/BC
I only had two pieces of BC-specific news, so I folded them in to the General post. COVID-19 Pathology IMPORTANT! This paper from USA (2024-06-21) reports using that cannabis raises your risk of severe COVID! The study found that people who used cannabis had a 28% higher risk hospitalization and 78% higher risk of ICU… Continue reading 2024-06-29 General/BC
2024-06-19 General
Unsolicited Product Recommendation I realized that I forgot to gush about the Readimasks fully in the last General post. They are a little expensive. HOWEVER, they gave a great seal (though see below) and were EXTREMELY comfortable. I do not have dangerously sensitive skin — I don’t go into anaphylactic shock when I touch latex… Continue reading 2024-06-19 General