B.C. marks record hospitalizations due to respiratory illnesses

Health officials say B.C.’s hospitals this respiratory season are more packed than they have ever been.

Unlike recent years, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says it’s the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — not just COVID-19 — also behind the surge.

The latest update, provided Wednesday, shows hospitals set a new capacity record on Tuesday, with more than 10,400 people in hospital. That’s 200 more than the last record, set a year ago.

“And respiratory illnesses are absolutely driving some of this pressures, particularly in young people on emergency departments,” Henry said.

Health Minister Adrian Dix says it’s a “particularly challenging time” for the health system.

Henry explains cases of influenza A and RSV have been increasing.

“We’re not out of the woods yet and we will continue to see high rates of influenza and RSV for the next few weeks. I expect, if it follows the pattern we’ve seen before, we may have a peak in the next week or so,” she said, adding it’s possible there could be an influenza B surge in March.

“The peak is probably, given past patterns, probably in the next week or so. That means we still have a ways to go before we see the last of influenza.”

Henry says great concern remains for children, with three deaths in kids under 10 reported late last year. She notes all three of these children — who were all unvaccinated — had the flu and secondary bacterial infections.

According to the PHO, we’re still in a transition year when it comes to COVID-19. She admits “it’s not clear yet what pattern this virus is going to take.”

“Now that we’ve seen the other respiratory viruses that we’re used to seeing, go back to what we saw a typical patterns, we’re seeing that COVID is not yet in a pattern that we can reflect continuously. But in the past few years, we’ve also seen an increase in COVID in the spring so a little bit later in March and April. So we’re looking at that again,” Henry said.

She says it’s not too late to be vaccinated if you’re not already.