Sask. COVID-19 cases likely underreported due to drop in testing rates: health official
During a speech delivered on Monday, Premier Scott Moe again pointed to the lower number of newly reported COVID-19 cases as a sign that the public health measures that are already in place are working.
It is a statistic Moe has lately seemed keen to highlight.
"Our case numbers are decreasing," Moe said during the Oct. 18 news conference where he announced the transfer of Saskatchewan ICU patients to Ontario to help provide relief for the province's overburdened health care system.
"They are starting to drop, the cases in the province," Moe said the next day in an interview with CTV News.
However, a senior medical official says that in order to understand what the number actually means, it's critical to also look at how many people are getting swabbed.
“We’re also seeing the number of tests that have been done over the last number of days have been going down very quickly as well, while test positivity has remained high,” Dr. Cory Neudorf told CTV News.
“That tells us fewer people are going out for testing."
Neudorf is a senior medical health officer with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).
According to recently released SHA data, nearly half of people receiving treatment in hospital for COVID-19 were not tested prior to admission meaning the cases were undiagnosed — and unreported.
"Many people who end up testing positive in hospitals are testing positive because they got tested in hospital and that’s the first time they knew they had COVID,” Neudorf said.
Saskatchewan’s test positivity rate continues to trend north of 10 per cent, according to Neudorf.
Neudorf authored an Oct. 21 letter signed by 20 other medical health officers calling on Health Minister Paul Merriman to introduce limits on gathering sizes among other measures to try and reduce the strain on the province's health care system.
Moe has been consistent in his stance that no further measures are needed beyond the masking mandate and vaccination policy that are already in place in Saskatchewan.
One of the reasons Moe routinely cites for staying the course is the declining number of cases.
“I think what we are getting is almost an alternative reality, selective focus on certain pieces of information and data, rather than a whole focus or even focusing on data that really matters," said Nazeem Muhajarine, professor of community health and epidemiology at the University of Saskatchewan.
According to SHA modelling released last week, without additional measures, ICU admissions could surge in the winter beyond what's already been seen in the province during the fourth wave.
“We’re not sure if we’re at that peak, we certainly know from the modelling that if no further restrictions are put in place this peak will be a very long peak," Neudorf said.
"We’ll be at this and the level of strain on the healthcare system for many weeks yet."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.