Photo: University of New Hampshire

The province’s most recent Community Respiratory Illness Surveillance Program report shows a decrease in influenza test positivity but an increase of RSV cases.

Health officials report that RSV-test positivity for the current reporting week was 6 per cent, an increase from 2.3 per cent in the week ending Dec. 16. Hospitalizations for RSV have increased by 147 per cent from 21 to 52 for the most recent two weeks.

Influenza hospitalizations have been decreasing for the past four weeks from 147 in the week ending December 2 to 41 in the current week, reflecting a 72% drop. There were both four COVID-19 and Influenza deaths reported in the last two weeks, as well. That brings the number of reported COVID-19 deaths in 2023 to 187, and the total number of flu deaths to 27.

There were nine COVID-19 outbreaks in the past two weeks compared to 14 in the previous CRISP report. COVID-19 hospitalizations have also been decreasing for the past five weeks from 93 in the week ending December 9 to 46 in the current week, reflecting a 50.5% drop.

As of December 31st, less than 11% of Saskatchewan residents under the age of 65 had received a COVID-19 vaccine since the beginning of fall. The province’s report said around 16% of people under 65 had received an influenza vaccine. Those numbers were significantly higher for the 65-plus age group, with almost 50% having received a COVID-19 shot and more than 57% getting a dose of flu vaccine.