Provincial Respiratory Surveillance Report

COVID-19 and Seasonal Influenza

2022-2023


This weekly report provides a current epidemiological update on the intensity and severity of respiratory activity in Manitoba including laboratory confirmed activity of both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza. Surveillance data include syndromic indicators, laboratory testing, associated hospitalization and mortality, and outbreaks. Updates around immunization coverage in COVID-19 and seasonal influenza are also included.

Data are reported with a one-week delay for increased data accuracy, completeness and reliability. More analyses continue to be conducted and will be added to this report as available. It is published online at approximately 10:00am every Friday.

Week 2 (January 8 – January 14, 2023)

About epidemiological week

Data extracted up to 1:00 am on January 19, 2023
Next reporting date: January 27, 2023


COVID-19 vaccination / Seasonal Influenza vaccination

COVID-19: Similar Activity

COVID-19 activity in week 2 decreased compared to the previous week. COVID-19 associated hospital admissions in week 2 decreased as well compared to the previous week. Overall, laboratory detection decreased compared to the fall of 2022. Older adults continue to be at higher risk for COVID-19 infection, associated hospital admissions, and fatalities.

As of January 14, in all Manitoba residents, 77.9% have received at least two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Additionally, 21.9% have received at least one dose within the last six months.

Wastewater surveillance data from January indicated sustained activity of COVID-19 in Winnipeg and Brandon at lower levels.

Cases

About cases

  • Cases this week: 122
  • Total cases: 7,327
More Analyses

Testing

About testing

This week

  • Average daily specimens: 251
  • Weekly positivity rate: 12.3%

Total

  • Tested people: 39,383
  • Population tested: 2.8%
  • Specimens tested: 61,113
  • Positivity rate: 19.3%
More Analyses

Severity

About associated severity

Severe outcomes this week

  • Hospital admissions: 28
    • ICU admissions3: 6
  • Deaths: 0

Total severe outcomes

  • Hospital admissions: 2,368
    • ICU admissions: 299
  • Deaths: 301
More Analyses

Outbreaks

About outbreaks

COVID-19 outbreaks this week

  • In long-term care facilities: 8
  • In hospitals: 0
  • In other settings: 0

Total COVID-19 outbreaks

  • In long-term care facilities: 198
  • In hospitals: 81
  • In other settings: 1
More Analyses

Seasonal Influenza: Decreased Activity

Influenza activity in week 2 continued to decrease from the previous week. This week, influenza A test positivity decreased to 1.9%, lower than the 6.0% that was observed nationally. The predominant circulating strain is influenza A (H3N2). Children below the age of five years were observed to have the highest risk for influenza infection compared to other age groups in week 2, followed by the people aged 65 years and older. At the national level, influenza A detection continued to decrease over the last few weeks. Overall, influenza activity this season started to increase earlier than would be expected and is now within expected levels for this time of year.

Other respiratory viruses continue to co-circulate. The RSV detection and positivity rate both decreased in week 2 compared to the previous week.

Cases

Cases this week

  • Influenza A: 18
  • Influenza B: 0

Total cases

  • Influenza A: 2,580
  • Influenza B: 2
More Analyses

Testing

Influenza testing this week

  • Average daily specimens: 214
  • Influenza A positivity rate: 1.9%
  • Influenza B positivity rate: 0.0%

Other respiratory pathogens this week

  • RSV4 positivity rate: 8.7%
  • RSV detections: 131
More Analyses

Severity

Severe outcomes this week

  • Hospital admissions: 2
    • ICU admissions: 0
  • Deaths: 0

Total severe outcomes

  • Hospital admissions: 662
    • ICU admissions: 6
  • Deaths: 55
More Analyses

Outbreaks

Influenza outbreaks this week

  • Influenza A: 0
  • Influenza B: 0

Total influenza outbreaks

  • Influenza A: 37
  • Influenza B: 0
More Analyses

Syndromic Indicators: Decreased Activity

In week 2, there appeared to have sustained activity in all syndromic indicators at reduced levels. Data fluctuations in ILI related visits to sentinel physicians were observed due to a small number of submitting sentinel physicians.

Weekly respiratory related visits to emergency departments/urgent care in week 2 continued to decrease compared to the last week.

FluWatchers

About FluWatchers

Participants reporting this week: 563

Reporting fever and cough: 2.1%

More Analyses

Physician Visits

About sentinel physicians

Influenza Like Illness (ILI) Visits to sentinel physicians this week: 3.1%

More Analyses

Antiviral

About Antiviral

Units of antiviral dispensed from pharmacies this week: 5

More Analyses

ED Visits

About emergency room visits

Respiratory visits to emergency department (ED) this week: 1473

More Analyses

Important Notes

  1. Data about COVID-19 and influenza cases are extracted from PHIMS.
  2. Numbers are subject to change. Missed events in the current report due to reporting delays will be included in later reports when data become available. Cumulative totals include all events from start of the current season to end of the reporting week.
  3. ICU admissions were included in hospital admissions, and include adult and pediatric cases.
  4. RSV - Respiratory syncytial virus.

COVID-19

Cases

Figure 1. Weekly Cases of COVID-19 by Season, Manitoba, 2020 – 2022 (July through June)

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Figure 2. Sex and Age Distribution of COVID-19 Cases, Manitoba, July 3, 2022 – January 14, 2022

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Figure 3. Incidence Rate (/10,000 Population) of COVID-19 Cases by Age Group and Week of Public Health Report Date, Manitoba, July 3, 2022 – January 14, 2022

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Figure 4. Cases of COVID-19 by Health Region and Public Health Report Date, Manitoba, August 1, 2022 – January 14, 2022

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Table 1. Cases of COVID-19 and Incidence Rate (/10,000 population) by Health Region, Manitoba, July 3, 2022 – January 14, 2022

Helath region Total cases Cases this week Incidence rate this week Age-standardized incidence rate* this week
Winnipeg RHA 4365 75 0.9 0.9
Southern Health-Santé Sud 705 14 0.6 0.7
Interlake-Eastern RHA 771 14 1.0 0.9
Prairie Mountain Health 993 12 0.7 0.7
Northern Health Region 492 7 0.9 1.4

Note: * Age-standardized rates are used to account for differences in the age structure in health regions. The whole Manitoba population is used as the standard population.

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Testing

Figure 5. Average Daily Testing Volume and Positivity (%) for COVID-19 by Week of Specimen Receiving Date, Manitoba, July 3, 2022 – January 14, 2022

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Severity

Figure 6. Severe Outcomes of COVID-19 by Week of Outcome Date, Manitoba, July 3, 2022 – January 14, 2022

Note. ICU admissions are not included in the hospital admissions.

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Figure 7. Age Distribution of Severe COVID-19 Cases This Week Compared to All Cases, Manitoba, July 3, 2022 – January 14, 2022

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Outbreaks

Figure 8. Weekly COVID-19 Outbreaks, Manitoba, 2020 – 2022

Note: All respiratory outbreaks include COVID-19 outbreaks, influenza outbreaks and the other respiratory outbreaks with known or unknown pathogens.

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Vaccination

Table 2. Coverage of COVID-19 Vaccinations, Manitoba, January 14, 2022

Age group (years) At least 1 dose At least 2 doses At least 1 dose within the last 6 months At least 1 dose of Bivalent
.5-04 9.8% 4.5% 9.8% 0.0%
05-11 55.1% 42.3% 10.0% 0.1%
12-17 82.4% 77.6% 9.5% 6.4%
18-29 88.0% 85.0% 8.1% 7.2%
30-39 84.3% 81.8% 12.9% 12.0%
40-49 87.8% 85.9% 17.4% 16.4%
50-59 87.0% 85.6% 24.5% 21.7%
60-69 94.9% 93.6% 42.8% 38.9%
70-79 >=95.0% >=95.0% 57.2% 53.1%
80+ >=95.0% >=95.0% 58.0% 54.6%
ALL 81.2% 77.9% 21.9% 18.6%

For more information, please visit COVID-19 vaccination coverage in Canada - Canada.ca

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Seasonal Influenza

Cases

Figure 9. Weekly Cases of Influenza by Season, Manitoba, 2019 – 2022 (July through June)

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Figure 10. Incidence Rate (/10,000 Population) of Influenza Cases by Age Group and Week of Public Health Report Date, 2018 – January 14, 2022

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Table 3. Cases of Influenza and Incidence Rate (/10,000 population) by Health Region, Manitoba, July 3, 2022 – January 14, 2022

Helath region Total cases Cases this week Incidence rate this week Age-standardized incidence rate* this week
Winnipeg RHA 1180 7 0.1 0.1
Southern Health-Santé Sud 348 <5 0.1 0.1
Interlake-Eastern RHA 326
Prairie Mountain Health 470 <5 0.2 0.2
Northern Health Region 222 6 0.8 0.6

Note: * Age-standardized rates are used to account for differences in the age structure in health regions. The whole Manitoba population is used as the standard population.

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Table 4. Antiviral Susceptibility of Isolates by Influenza Type and Subtype, Canada, September 1 – January 14, 2022

Oseltamivir
Zanamivir
Area Strain Resistant Susceptible Resistant Susceptible
Canada A(H3N2) 0 160 0 160
A(H1N1) 0 15 0 15
Manitoba A(H3N2) 0 118 0 118
A(H1N1) 0 12 0 12
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Table 5. Strain Characterization of Influenza Isolates, Canada, September 1 – January 14, 2022

Strain Canada Manitoba
Influenza A (H3N2)/Darwin/6/2021-like 216 169
Influenza A (H1N1)/Wisconsin/588/2019-like 19 16

Notes: A/Darwin/6/2021-like virus is the H3N2 virus selected for the 2022/23 Northern Hemisphere Influenza vaccine. A/Wisconsin/588/2019-like virus is the recommmended H1N1 component for the 2022-2023 Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccine.

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Testing

Figure 11. Average Daily Testing Volume and Positivity (%) for Influenza by Week of Specimen Receiving Date, Manitoba, July 3, 2022 – January 14, 2022

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Figure 12. Number of Positive Respiratory Virus Tests by Week of Specimen Receiving Date, Manitoba, July 3, 2022 – January 14, 2022

Note. Other respiratory viruses include adenovirus, enterovirus/rhinovirus, human coronavirus (seasonal), human metapneumovirus and human parainfluenza virus.

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Severity

Figure 13. Severe Outcomes of Influenza by Week of Outcome Date, Manitoba, July 3, 2022 – January 14, 2022

Note. ICU admissions are not included in the hospital admissions.

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Figure 14. Age Distribution of Severe Influenza Cases in All Cases, Manitoba, July 3, 2022 – January 14, 2022

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Outbreaks

Figure 15. Weekly Respiratory and Influenza Outbreaks, Manitoba, 2019 – January 14, 2022

Note: All respiratory outbreaks include COVID-19 outbreaks, influenza outbreaks and the other respiratory outbreaks with known or unknown pathogens.

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Vaccinations

Table 7. Coverage of Influenza Vaccinations, Manitoba, September 1, 2022 – January 14, 2022

Age group Does Coverage percentage
0-4 14971 17.6%
5-17 34810 15.3%
18-49 90823 15.3%
50-64 79835 30.8%
65+ 142781 61.0%
All 367322 26.3%

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FluWatchers

Figure 16. Weekly FluWatchers Participants and Percentage Reporting Fever and Cough, Manitoba, 2019 – January 14, 2022

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Physician Visits

Figure 17. Weekly Percentage of ILI Related Visits to Sentinel Physicians, Manitoba, 2018 – January 14, 2022

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Antiviral

Figure 18. Weekly Units of Antiviral Dispensed from Pharmacies, Manitoba, 2018 – January 14, 2022

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ED Visits

Figure 19. Weekly Respiratory Visits to Emergency Department, Manitoba, 2017 – January 14, 2022

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