ICU admissions rising fast, says Tam

While admissions to Canadian hospitals rose four per cent last week, admissions to intensive care units rose 18 per cent, suggesting COVID-19 variant pose a more serious threat, says Dr. Tam.

The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Canada's chief public health officer is warning that COVID-19 vaccines are helping but will not be the pandemic panacea.

Dr. Theresa Tam says there is growing evidence people who are hospitalized with variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 are needing intensive care at higher rates.

She says in the last week the number of people admitted to hospital with COVID-19 rose four per cent while the number of new admissions to intensive care units grew 18 per cent.

Over the last week, an average of 2,400 people were in hospital and 780 were in the ICU.

It means about one-third of patients currently hospitalized require intensive care, compared to less than one-fifth in mid-January, when hospitalizations during the second wave of the pandemic peaked.

ICU admissions rising fast, says Tam

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