Unvaccinated Bearing The Brunt Of Fourth Wave COVID - 19 Cases

People who are not fully vaccinated against contracting COVID – 19 might be in the minority in Saskatchewan but they were in the majority of people who contracted the virus in August.

In statistics released by Saskatchewan Health in the month of August there were 4,596 confirmed cases of COVID – 19 in Saskatchewan. Out of the confirmed cases 3.840 or 83.5 percent of the total COVID – 19 cases were people not vaccinated or had received their first vaccination less than 21 days earlier from the date of testing positive.

In total 189 people were hospitalized due to COVID – 19 in August in Saskatchewan and 150 or 79.4 percent of those hospitalized were people not vaccinated or had received their first vaccination less than 21 days earlier from the date of testing positive.

Fourteen people who wee partially vaccinated with one vaccine dose were hospitalized while 39 people were who required hospitalization were fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine.

Those who had not been vaccinated or had received their first dose less than 21 days before contracting the virus were the bulk of 41 people who required admittance to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). In total 33 ICU patients – 80.5 percent - were not vaccinated or had not received their first dose less than 21 days earlier.

While two people with one dose of the vaccine required ICU treatment and eight people in the ICU for COVID – 19 were fully vaccinated.

Pre-existing conditions and age factored into the cases requiring admittance to an ICU. With 42.9 percent having pre-existing conditions and 21.4 percent 70 years of age or older.

In August 22 people passed away due to COVID – 19 and 12 of those who succumbed to the virus were not vaccinated or received their first dose of vaccine less than 21 days earlier.

Those who contracted CIVOD – 19 in August came from across the entire age spectrum.

Of the 4,596 people in August who contracted the virus 793 were 11 years of age and under and not able to be vaccinated. The age has since dropped from 12 to 11 year old to be able to be vaccinated.

There has been varying age restrictions throughout the introduction of COVID – 19 vaccines due to scientific evidence there is a risk of developing life threatening blood clots, The age of who was eligible to be vaccinated, due to safety concerns, has consistently dropped since vaccines were initially approved.

It also needs to be noted that the Health Minister Paul Merriman has stated we are presently in the fourth wave of the virus with the Delta variant of the virus now dominant in all new cases across North America.

Variants of Concern are the mutations of the virus which have mutated to be more infectitious, cause greater illness or death or a combination of the two.

Saskatchewan Heath has asked residents to take precautions to prevent the further spread of COVID – 19 cases by adopting measures designed to stop the spread. (See precautions list below.)