One of the problems we have when we get what seems to be a cold, is knowing if it’s COVID or flu or just a cold. To help with this, the Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) has expanded the services at the portable trailer immediately outside the NHH Emergency Department although, no doubt because they expect a rush, you need to make an appointment.  So if you are experiencing “worsening cough, cold, earaches, sore throats, congestion and fever” – that is maybe Flu or Covid or even RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) – then call and ask for help diagnosing. If needed you can then make an appointment to see a clinician (often on the same day) and perhaps get a “COVID-19 PCR… Read complete articleNHH opens Cough, Cold and COVID Assessment Centre

Covid is mostly a problem for seniors – in Cobourg, 65% of Covid Deaths have been for people aged 80 or more and there have been no Covid Deaths for anyone younger than 39.  Since Covid statistics were first collected, in Cobourg, there have been 1303 confirmed Covid cases; 53 of these were hospitalized and there have been 12 Covid deaths in Cobourg.  Covid cases are now at a steady rate: according to sewage measurements which started in 2022, Covid peaked in April and August in Cobourg.  But now there is another problem and it’s primarily with flu like and respiratory diseases amongst young children.  In the HKPR Health region, from 28 August to 15 November, 15% of Visits to… Read complete articleCovid and Flu Update for Cobourg

Today Northumberland Hills Hospital said that “The number of admitted patients at Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) continues to rise as case counts increase in the region.”  Susan Walsh, President and CEO of NHH said: “Sadly, COVID-19 has not gone away.”  The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPRDHU) keeps track of outbreaks in high risk settings and one of the 11 Outbreaks in the region is NHH. Three of the Outbreaks are in Cobourg – see list below.  According to HKPR, the count of cases in Cobourg is 8 but the Hospital says that “We currently have eleven admitted patients confirmed positive for COVID-19. Some are here because of COVID-19, some came to hospital for other reasons but were found… Read complete articleCovid-19 Outbreak at Hospital

Life seems almost back to normal but it’s not quite – Covid is still with us.  At a media briefing today, Dr. Natalie Bocking of the HKPR Health Unit provided an update.  We are now in a seventh wave or a third Omicron wave – caused by the BA-5 variant.  As usually the case with new variants, it’s more infectious and more easily transmissible but does not cause worse symptoms.  Cases in our area are not (yet) at previous levels but we need to be cautious – especially if susceptible such as older or with an immune condition.  Dr. Bocking recommends vaccination protection, staying home if sick (at all), avoiding large indoor gatherings and use rapid testing to check.  However,… Read complete articleCovid-19 Update – July 2022

Although Ontario is scheduled to lift some restrictions at the end of the month, by no means are we out of the woods.  The good news is that we are past the peak that occurred around the end of December; the bad news is that cases have plateaued at a high rate – for Northumberland that’s around an average of 30 new cases per day (see graph below).  Worse, that’s an underestimate – the real number is higher.  That’s because it only measures the results of PCR testing.  Many Omicron cases do not get recorded in official figures.  Because of this, the HKPR DHU Medical Officer of Health Dr. Bocking, says that we should watch other indicators like ICU admissions,… Read complete articleCovid-19 Update – January 2022