Provincial Respiratory Surveillance Report

COVID-19 and Seasonal Influenza

2024-2025 season

*seasons are defined as June 30, 2024 to June 28, 2025


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 3:00pm every Friday.

Week 34 (August 18 – August 24, 2024)

About epidemiological week

Data extracted up to 1:00 am on August 29, 2024
Next reporting date: September 6, 2024


COVID-19 vaccination / Seasonal Influenza vaccination

COVID-19

Test positivity remains lower than the peak rate observed in the fall (week 45). In the past few weeks there has been signs of an increase; all other indicators remained stable over time.

Wastewater surveillance data up to August 27 indicates high viral activity for COVID-19.

Cases

About cases

  • Cases this week: 83
  • Total cases: 617 (June 30, 2024 – August 24, 2024)
More Analyses

Testing

About testing

This week

  • Average daily specimens: 129
  • Weekly positivity rate: 19.3%

Total (June 30, 2024 – August 24, 2024)

  • Tested people: 5,262
  • Population tested: 0.4%
  • Specimens tested: 6,429
  • Positivity rate: 16.6%
More Analyses

Severity

About associated severity

Severe outcomes this week

  • Hospital admissions: 35
    • ICU admissions3: 4
  • Deaths7: 6

Total severe outcomes (June 30, 2024 – August 24, 2024)

  • Hospital admissions: 250
    • ICU admissions: 24
  • Deaths: Unavailable

Outbreaks

About outbreaks

COVID-19 outbreaks this week

  • In long-term care facilities: 3
  • In hospitals: 2
  • In other settings: 0

Total COVID-19 outbreaks (June 30, 2024 – August 24, 2024)

  • In long-term care facilities: 38
  • In hospitals: 17
  • In other settings: 0
More Analyses

Seasonal Influenza

Test positivity remains lower than the peak rate observed in the fall (week 51); all other indicators remained stable over time.

Low RSV detection; in week 34 RSV detection increased slightly compared with the previous week.

Cases

Cases this week

  • Influenza A: 0
  • Influenza B: 0

Total cases (June 30, 2024 – August 24, 2024)

  • Influenza A: 4
  • Influenza B: 0
More Analyses

Testing

Influenza testing this week

  • Average daily specimens: 42
  • Influenza A positivity rate: 0.0%
  • Influenza B positivity rate: 0.0%

Other respiratory pathogens this week

  • RSV4 positivity rate: 0.7%
  • RSV detections: 2
More Analyses

Severity

Severe outcomes this week

  • Hospital admissions: Unavailable
    • ICU admissions: Unavailable
  • Deaths7: 0

Total severe outcomes (June 30, 2024 – August 24, 2024)

  • Hospital admissions: Unavailable
    • ICU admissions: Unavailable
  • Deaths: 0

Outbreaks

About outbreaks

Influenza outbreaks this week

  • Influenza A: 0
  • Influenza B: 0

Total influenza outbreaks (June 30, 2024 – August 24, 2024)

  • Influenza A: 0
  • Influenza B: 0

Other outbreaks

  • This week: 1
  • Total (June 30, 2024 – August 24, 2024): 22
More Analyses

Syndromic Indicators

All syndromic indicators have decreased or remained the same compared to the previous week.

FluWatchers

About FluWatchers

Participants reporting this week: 405

Reporting fever and cough: 0.2%

More Analyses

Physician Visits

About sentinel physicians

Influenza Like Illness (ILI) Visits to sentinel physicians this week: 0.5%

More Analyses

Antiviral

About Antiviral

Units of antiviral dispensed from pharmacies this week: 0

More Analyses

ED Visits

About emergency room visits

Respiratory visits to emergency department (ED) this week: 1194

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 are included in hospital admissions, and include adult and pediatric cases.
  4. RSV - Respiratory syncytial virus.
  5. Influenza associated hospitalizations and associated ICU cases are currently under review.
  6. COVID case counts are under review and maybe an undercount.
  7. Deaths are reported as “associated with” COVID or Influenza, but not all have been “caused by” COVID or Influenza. “COVID associated deaths” and “Influenza associated deaths” include persons who had a confirmed positive lab test result for COVID or Influenza, within 30 days before their death, or following their death through a post mortem. The number of deaths from week to week may be impacted by the lag-time for entry of deaths from Vital Statistics/Client Registry/clinical notifications and delayed entry of cases.

COVID-19

Cases

Figure 1. Weekly Cases of COVID-19 by Season, Manitoba, 2021 – 2025 (June through June)

Back


Figure 2. Sex and Age Distribution of COVID-19 Cases, Manitoba, June 30, 2024 – August 24, 2024

Back


Figure 3. Cases of COVID-19 by Health Region and Public Health Report Date, Manitoba, June 30, 2024 – August 24, 2024

Back


Testing

Figure 4. Average Daily Testing Volume and Positivity (%) for COVID-19 by Week of Specimen Receiving Date, Manitoba, June 30, 2024 – August 24, 2024

Back


Vaccination

Table 1. Fall COVID-19 Campaign Coverage (at least 1 dose) and Coverage in the Last Six Months by Age Group

Sep 1, 2022 - Feb 28, 2023
Sep 1, 2023 - Aug 24, 2024
( Last 6 months, up to Aug 24, 2024 )
Age group Number Vaccinated %Coverage Number Vaccinated %Coverage Number Vaccinated %Coverage
00-04 5023 6.0% 4196 5.0% 532 0.6%
05-17 23493 10.1% 15534 6.7% 592 0.3%
18-49 77938 12.8% 53880 8.9% 1777 0.3%
50-64 74266 28.6% 61570 23.7% 2357 0.9%
65+ 151039 62.1% 139899 57.5% 16937 7.0%
All 357089 25.0% 290977 20.4% 22364 1.6%

About vaccination coverage

Back

Seasonal Influenza

Cases

Figure 5. Weekly Cases of Influenza by Season, Manitoba, 2020 – 2025 (June through June)

Back


Testing

Figure 6. Average Daily Testing Volume and Positivity (%) for Influenza by Week of Specimen Receiving Date, Manitoba, June 30, 2024 – August 24, 2024

Back


Figure 7. Number of Positive Respiratory Virus Tests by Week of Specimen Receiving Date, Manitoba, June 30, 2024 – August 24, 2024

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

Back


Outbreaks

Figure 8. Weekly Respiratory Outbreaks, Manitoba, 2021 – August 24, 2024

Back


Vaccinations

Table 2. Coverage of Influenza Vaccinations, Manitoba

Sep 1, 2022 - May 31, 2023
Sep 1, 2023 - Aug 24, 2024
Age group Number Vaccinated %Coverage Number Vaccinated %Coverage
0-4 17511 20.9% 14663 17.5%
5-17 37354 15.7% 32030 13.4%
18-49 95923 15.4% 90177 14.5%
50-64 83205 32.3% 78525 30.4%
65+ 146408 58.9% 148766 59.9%
All 386652 26.7% 368896 25.4%

Note. Actual number of people vaccinated between September 1 and August 24, 2024 may be higher due to delays in reporting doses administered.

About vaccination coverage

Back


FluWatchers

Figure 9. Weekly FluWatchers Participants and Percentage Reporting Fever and Cough, Manitoba, 2020 – August 24, 2024

Back


Physician Visits

Figure 10. Weekly Percentage of ILI Related Visits to Sentinel Physicians, Manitoba, 2018 – August 24, 2024

Note. Due to small numbers the rates should be interpreted with caution.

Back


Antiviral

Figure 11. Weekly Units of Antiviral Dispensed from Pharmacies, Manitoba, 2020 – August 24, 2024

Back


ED Visits

Figure 12. Weekly Respiratory Visits to Emergency Department, Manitoba, 2017 – August 24, 2024

Back