COVID-19 inpatient numbers at LHSC rise even as testing declines

London Health Sciences Centre (File)

There is a new record for the number of inpatients with COVID-19 at the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) as the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) reported 324 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases Wednesday.

Middlesex-London now has 3,984 active cases and seen a total of 24,896 cases, with 20,648 resolved, and 264 related deaths. The seven-day moving average rose slightly to 400.4 from 396.3 on Tuesday.

The new death, a male in his 70s, was not associated with a long-term care or retirement home.

LHSC is reporting 129 inpatients with COVID-19, up by 22 in the last 24 hours and marking a new record high. The number of patients in Critical Care held steady at 21 for a second day, while the number in Children's Hospital rose to six.

Of those in care, 80 are being treated for COVID-19 while another 49 are being treated for other issues but have also tested positive. Meanwhile 512 LHSC staff are positive, up from 468 on Tuesday.

At St. Joseph's Health Care 105 workers are positive, down from 124 on Tuesday, along with 71 patients/residents, an increase of 13 in the past 24 hours.

There are more than two dozen active outbreaks in seniors' facilities in the region and three in units at LHSC.

With the change in testing rules introduced across the province on Dec. 31, 2021, there was a significant decline in testing done the first week of January.

For the week ending Jan. 8, 7,879 people were tested in Middlesex-London with a percent positivity of 24 per cent. The previous week, 14,424 tests were done with a percent positivity of 29 per cent.

REGIONAL COVID-19 COUNTS

Here are the most recently available numbers from other local public health authorities:

• Elgin-Oxford – 106 new, 1,312 active, 8,720 total, 7,282 resolved, 126 deaths (four new)
• Grey-Bruce – 41 new cases, 302 active, 4,673 total, 4,341 resolved, 25 deaths
• Huron-Perth – 28 new, 1,176 active, 4,276 total, 3,022 resolved, 78 deaths (two new)
• Sarnia-Lambton – 47 new, 939 active, 7,280 total, 6,250 resolved, 91 deaths (two new)

Ontario health officials reported 9,782 new infections and 46 deaths across the province Wednesday, and another jump in the number of people in hospital or intensive care units.

Health officials are reminding residents that the number of people who actually have COVID-19 is likely much higher that the numbers being reported.