Given what’s known about COVID-19, Alberta’s worst day of daily new infections reported Saturday alone — 2,433 cases — would likely result in 88…

Given what’s known about COVID-19, Alberta’s worst day of daily new infections reported Saturday alone 2,433 cases would likely result in 88 hospitalizations and 20 ICU admissions, Dr. Lynora Saxinger said
Bill Kaufmann
Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Lynora Saxinger poses for a photo outside the Mazankowski Heart Institute at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, on Friday, March 5, 2021.Photo by Ian Kucerak /Postmedia
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While expecting COVID-19 to push hospitals to their limit, some Alberta doctors are also voicing frustration and anger with those they hold partly responsible for that.
Continued rallies by anti-restriction activists and a rodeo attended by thousands near Bowden over the weekend are a punch to the gut of health-care workers, they say.
Seeing those gatherings is just excruciating because you know what its going to be like in hospitals, said Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious disease specialist.
The rodeo and all the other stuff you see where people arent buying into the restrictions seems like a significant blow and it hurts morale.
Given whats known about COVID-19, Albertas worst day of daily new infections reported Saturday alone 2,433 cases would likely result in 88 hospitalizations and 20 ICU admissions, she said.
While the province says it can mobilize 425 COVID-19 ICU beds, staffing them if theyre needed would be a challenge, said Saxinger, who works at Edmontons University of Alberta Hospital.
Theyre more than just a bed with oxygen; there are already staffing issues on ICUs and if the case numbers keep climbing, were going to have serious problems, she said.
Even if the (hospitalization) numbers are better than we project, its still going to be bad and its still during a time when its preventable.
In a series of tweets, Calgary acute-care physician Gabriel Fabreau said health-care workers are now bracing for the worst while witnessing the situation deteriorate with the need for field hospitals and triage protocols a looming possibility.
With our per capita cases, this may mean field hospitals and ICU triage protocols, he said, adding most COVID-19 patients are racialized, essential workers who are getting sicker, faster.
Health-care workers on front lines are tired but will show up & do our best camaraderie high, but people resigned for whats coming.
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Muddled thoughts about last nights #COVID19 shift:
majority of pts. racialized, newcomers, #BIPOC or refugees
most work-related infxns or home spread from #EssentialWorkers
daycare & #school related
Now younger, pregnant & post-partum is scary
Sicker, faster#COVID19AB1/
Gabriel Fabreau (@gabefabreau) May 3, 2021
And the physician who works at the Peter Lougheed Centre said health-care workers morale isnt being lifted by rodeos and rallies being held by anti-restriction dissidents.
Worryingly, resentment growing when we see rodeos and anti-maskers, he wrote.
Clearly scoldings, fear and anger dont work. Psychology (and other successful jurisdictions) tells us (its) much better to promote solidarity, community and hope that we just need a bit more from everyone.
Those who flaunt their lack of concern are ensuring the restrictions they mock will be in place longer, said Dr. Eddy Lang, who oversees emergency departments in the Calgary zone.
Those kind of actions are simply going to delay getting to the place where Israel and the U.K. are .1 per cent test positivity, said Lang, the same day the positivity rate in Alberta reached 13.2 per cent.
Well get there, its just a matter of whether its July or September Itll take us longer without a clampdown.
But while he said deniers actions are disturbing and disappointing, chastising them isnt the answer; education is.
And he said front-line hospital staff morale is good, even those in the emergency units who are the first to receive COVID-19 patients.
Protocols to defend against the virus have also reduced other illnesses, giving hospitals some breathing room, said Lang.
Luckily this is going on because we dont know where wed put the COVID patients, he said.
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Everyone (on staff) is tired of all the PPE and its tragic seeing young people coming in on oxygen but theres a really good spirit and well get through this.
While health-care workers are taking serious triage protocols enacted when patient overflows forces them to choose who gets treatment Lang said he doesnt expect to use them.
But apprehension among physicians in the province is real, said Calgary pediatrician Dr. Sidd Thakore.
I think every physician in the province is concerned given how the numbers are increasing, he said.
Its not going to get any better in the near future.
The Alberta Childrens Hospital doctor said he fears a surge of patients will force the use of pediatric resources and space for adult patients.
Alberta Childrens Hospital in Calgary, on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018.Photo by Leah Hennel /Postmedia
And while Thakore said he understands the frustration among the public over COVID-19 restrictions, they have to take it seriously.
Its no joke and definitely the health-care workers feel it, too its a challenge and its no joke, he said, adding the provincial government appears to simply be hoping for the best.
The health-care system is being stressed more now than ever and its almost like a wait-and-see approach.
On Monday, Premier Jason Kenney praised the provinces vaccine rollout thats administered more than 1.64 million doses but sharply criticized those flouting rules meant to halt infectious spread.
That (rodeo) was organized by people who simply dont care about the sacrifices being made by millions of Albertans or choose to ignore Albertans in intensive-care beds now battling this disease, he said.
If you choose to ignore the restrictions, youre setting everyone back.
Albertas higher case rate than neighbouring provinces with similar health measures may be due to a broader non-compliance, added Kenney.
BKaufmann@postmedia.com
Twitter: @BillKaufmannjrn
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