COVID-19: more deaths were reported in the first 5 months of 2022 compared to 2021

A total of 434 deaths were recorded between January 1 and June 4 this year, compared to 391 people in the same period in 2021.

According to the acting epidemiologist and chief medical officer of the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Cory Neudorf, the provincial government’s policy choices and the decision to remove public health measures have led to an increase in the number of deaths this year.

” With those metrics declining earlier, it’s pretty predictable that what we’ll see is a consistently high and very slow decline. Which has resulted in many, many more deaths than we would have seen otherwise. “

Despite calls for stricter health measures by health care workers in December and January, Premier Scott Moe canceled the vaccination passport requirement in February.

The epidemiologist believes that if Saskatchewan had used a different approach, fewer people would have died.

” The Saskatchewan Department of Health did not respond when asked if these decisions increase the number of COVID-19-related deaths. He replied that all provinces saw an increase in this number because of the Omicron variant. “

The importance of booster doses

According to Neudorf, the third dose is more of a booster dose, because the virus has mutated to become more resistant.

The third dose should not be considered a booster. It is part of a series of vaccineshe said.

Although the booster vaccination rate reached 50% in February, this number stopped at 53% in June, despite the extension of eligibility to people aged 12 and over.

Cory Neudorf believes that the SHA the COVID-19 virus should be considered as the flu responsible for influenza.

This virus spreads between winter and spring when people spend more time indoors to avoid the cold winter, he says. He pointed out that the number of people infected with COVID-19 was also high during this period.

If people take their booster dose, they will avoid COVID-19 and there will be less pressure on the health network, he believes.

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Health considers vaccination as the best form of protection. He encourages anyone whose last injection was more than four months ago to consider taking their booster dose.

With information from Alexander Quon