The province released it’s bi-weekly CRISP report, looking at Community Respiratory Illness Surveillance from the weeks of November 20 to December 3rd.
There were 41 Covid-related deaths in the reporting period, with one death in the 20-59 age group and the remaining 40 in the 60 and over age group. In the previous reporting period, there were 31 such deaths
No deaths were noted in the influenza section of the report during the reporting period.
Lab confirmed cases of both COVID-19 and influenza are down, but remain high. There were 547 positive influenza tests and 396 positive Covid-19 tests in the past two weeks. There were 699 and 453 in the previous reporting cycle.
When it comes to the flu vaccine, the numbers there have also dropped. Weekly visits to Saskatchewan emergency departments for respiratory-like illnesses have decreased from 55.7 to 38.5 per 1,000 visits for the period.
“To date, less than one-quarter of the Saskatchewan population (22%) have received an influenza vaccine, a 3% increase from the previous reporting period,” the report noted. “(H)owever, this is a 13% decrease in doses compared to the same time last year.”
The flu immunization campaign began October 11.
RSV increased from 43 to 67 cases, and hospitalizations increased from 11 to 23. All of the RSV hospitalizations occurred in children aged 0 to 19 years.
For the most recent surveillance week, the report noted that 15 per cent of Saskatchewan students were absent from school due to illness.