Primary Country (Mandatory)

United States

Other Country (Optional)

Set News Language for United States

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language[s] (Optional)
No other language available

Set News Language for World

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language(s) (Optional)

Set News Source for United States

Primary Source (Mandatory)
CNN
Other Source[s] (Optional)

Set News Source for World

Primary Source (Mandatory)
AajTak
Other Source(s) (Optional)
  • Countries
    • India
    • United States
    • Qatar
    • Germany
    • China
    • Canada
    • World
  • Categories
    • National
    • International
    • Business
    • Entertainment
    • Sports
    • Special
    • All Categories
  • Available Languages for United States
    • English
  • All Languages
    • English
    • Hindi
    • Arabic
    • German
    • Chinese
    • French
  • Sources
    • India
      • AajTak
      • NDTV India
      • The Hindu
      • India Today
      • Zee News
      • NDTV
      • BBC
      • The Wire
      • News18
      • News 24
      • The Quint
      • ABP News
      • Zee News
      • News 24
    • United States
      • CNN
      • Fox News
      • Al Jazeera
      • CBSN
      • NY Post
      • Voice of America
      • The New York Times
      • HuffPost
      • ABC News
      • Newsy
    • Qatar
      • Al Jazeera
      • Al Arab
      • The Peninsula
      • Gulf Times
      • Al Sharq
      • Qatar Tribune
      • Al Raya
      • Lusail
    • Germany
      • DW
      • ZDF
      • ProSieben
      • RTL
      • n-tv
      • Die Welt
      • Süddeutsche Zeitung
      • Frankfurter Rundschau
    • China
      • China Daily
      • BBC
      • The New York Times
      • Voice of America
      • Beijing Daily
      • The Epoch Times
      • Ta Kung Pao
      • Xinmin Evening News
    • Canada
      • CBC
      • Radio-Canada
      • CTV
      • TVA Nouvelles
      • Le Journal de Montréal
      • Global News
      • BNN Bloomberg
      • Métro
Longline Wirefree Sports Bra Buy Now
Hisense 40-Inch Google Smart TV Buy Now
Men's Knit Cardigan Buy Now
CRZ Yoga Pima Cotton Cropped Tank Buy Now
Weatherproof Vintage Men's Jeans Buy Now
Essentials Men's Regular-Fit Shirt Buy Now
10" Android Tablet Buy Now
Crystal Accented Bracelet Watch Buy Now
Womens Fuax Leather Skirt Buy Now
Trendy Women's Summer Tops Buy Now
Basics Household Tool Kit With Storage Case Buy Now
Jerzees Dri-Power Tees Buy Now
Chiffon Plain Saree Buy Now
Aldo Legoirii Tote Buy Now
CKKM Men's Waterproof Hiking Shoes Buy Now
Men's Cotton Cardigan Buy Now
Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR w/ 18-55mm Lens Buy Now
Aldo Sloana Handbag Buy Now
Men's 2 Pack Slim Fit T-Shirts Buy Now
Gold Bracelets for Women, 14k Stackable Bangle Cuff Buy Now
MoreBack to News Headlines
Independent modelling group warns of record hospitalizations in B.C. due to Omicron variant

Independent modelling group warns of record hospitalizations in B.C. due to Omicron variant

CBC
Thursday, December 23, 2021 4:43 AM GMT

A report from an independent COVID-19 modelling group says hospitalizations due to B.C.'s Omicron-fueled fifth wave will reach unprecedented heights by around mid-January.

The report, published on Thursday, says cases of the Omicron variant are increasing by around 23 to 29 per cent per day. The rate of transmission means Omicron cases are doubling approximately every three days. 

It is  currently unclear how severe an Omicron infection is compared to the previously-dominant Delta variant, according to the authors, who consist of experts from the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria.

However, the modelling group warns that even if Omicron is considerably less severe than Delta, hospitals in B.C. are likely to be overwhelmed due to the fifth wave.

"We expect [the] number of people in hospital to exceed that previously seen in the pandemic by mid January," the report says.

"Only if Omicron is much less severe (more than a 10-fold reduction in severity) would rising case numbers not lead to a crunch in hospitals."

Dr. Sarah Otto, a professor at the University of B.C. and a member of the independent modelling group, says the rapid spread of the Omicron variant means officials have less time to react compared to previous waves.

"We don't really have that time with Omicron," she told Gloria Macarenko, host of CBC's On The Coast. "Now is the time to just be really strict with yourself."

 

B.C. has already broken its daily case record twice in two days. On Wednesday, the province recorded 1,528 cases, a 161 per cent increase in daily case numbers compared to the previous week. 

The models show that record numbers will continue to be set for a while, well into the start of 2022. 

However, the report also notes that new public health restrictions introduced on Tuesday will change transmission rates in an unpredictable way.

The emerging data on how vaccination affects immunity to the Omicron variant, now the dominant variant in B.C., also means future projections beyond January are murky, according to the modellers.

The report says that booster vaccine doses provide for better protection against the Omicron variant, which would reduce hospitalizations and daily cases.

Read full story on CBC
Share this story on:-
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running GamePlay Run 3, the ultimate space tunnel running game with 300+ challenging levels!Adv.
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing GameTraffic Jam 3D is a game where you’ll be driving through heavy traffic.Adv.
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic GamePlay the classic 1984 light gun shooter game Duck Hunt on your browser.Adv.
More Related News
School bus driver, courier charged months after 7-year-old London, Ont., boy killed while leaving bus

Two men have been charged after a six-month investigation into the death of seven-year-old Dante Caranci, who was hit by a car while getting off a school bus on a busy rural road in Lambeth in southwest London, Ont.

1 person dead after house fire in northeast Calgary

One person is dead and three were injured in a house fire overnight in northeast Calgary.

Calls for police investigation, government apology after explosive AG report

Newfoundland and Labrador's health minister — a former registered nurse — says she is blown away by this week's auditor general's report on health-sector contracts, which found the provincial health authority has overspent millions of dollars on private agency nurses since 2022.

Her husband died after a lung transplant. Now she has to sell her home to pay the bills

The wife of a lung transplant recipient who died in May says her family's attempt to save her husband's life has cost her their family home in Springhill, N.S.

Sitansisk First Nation eager for plan tapping police to enforce band council bylaws

For the first time in years, the Fredericton Police Force has set up shop in a Wolastoqey community that's within the city's municipal boundary, but functions as an enclave with its own identity, laws and governing body.

Buskers must now sing in French in Quebec City's tourist hub. Not everyone is happy

It's been nine years since Bosko Baker was approved to be a street musician in Quebec City and started playing across central areas and tourist hubs.

Mother of Saskatoon homicide victim shocked after Crown stays 1st-degree murder charges against 3 accused

Crystal Duquette says she didn't think anything could compare to the horror of a Saskatoon police officer knocking on her door and saying her daughter Melissa had been found murdered in a house on 33rd Street.

From dad to drag: How Jada Yee supports his queer kids as Chyna B. Deadly

It's a Saturday night and Chyna B. Deadly is strutting, jumping, dancing and lip-syncing to Lady Gaga's latest single, Abracadabra. She's dressed in a plunging glittery gown and high heels, surrounded by people singing along, dancing and waving money at her.

Future of downtown development to be debated over 2 days at Edmonton public hearing

Dozens of Edmontonians will be sharing their opinions on the future of downtown development as a two-day public hearing kicks off Thursday morning at city hall. 

I didn't know what it meant to be Canadian until I saw a photograph that opened my eyes

This First Person column is written by Clare Currie, who lives in Cape Breton, N.S., and is part of a Canada Day series exploring what Canada means to people across this country. For more information about First Person stories, see the FAQ.

Things to do in Hamilton this Canada Day weekend

Summer is off to a blazing start with lots to do in Hamilton.

Ford Motor Company calls majority of workforce into office 4 days a week

Ford Motor Company is calling the majority of its salaried workforce back to the office four days a week, the automaker's latest effort to boost employee and company performance.

Calgary 'bucking the trend' as U.S. visits to area surge amid nationwide slump

Canada may be seeing fewer American visitors this spring, but Calgary is proving to be the outlier.

Parking Slot | Free Parking GamePlay Parking Slot, the best online 3D car driving and parking game.Adv.
Slope Ball Run - Play OnlineSlope Game takes you on an exciting journey of a ball on special paths.Adv.
Toronto could get a 'chief resiliency officer' to help deal with its extreme weather response

Toronto will ask city staff to look at creating a "chief resiliency officer" to help the city navigate extreme weather situations, council decided at its meeting on Thursday night.

Treaty 8 First Nations call for 2% resource revenues from projects on their land

Treaty 8 First Nations chiefs in Alberta are calling for a two-per-cent share of royalties from projects that develop resources from their land.

Toronto to install larger, more visible signs to warn drivers of speed cameras

Toronto city council has decided that it will install "larger, more visible and clearer" signs to warn drivers where automated speed enforcement cameras are located in the city.

'Hard to comprehend': Inspector flags widespread fuel staining, spills near Gahcho Kué Mine

A recent inspection of the Margaret Lake camp near Gahcho Kué Mine found the site "in disarray," according to an N.W.T. resource officer.

Carney's 'nation-building' projects bill passes into law — but not without Indigenous pushback

The Senate passed Prime Minister Mark Carney's landmark 'nation-building' projects bill unamended Thursday, giving the federal government extraordinary new powers to fast-track initiatives that have the potential to boost the economy as Canada grapples with the U.S. trade war.

Canadian dies while in ICE custody in Florida, U.S. agency says

A Canadian citizen died while in custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this week, the agency says.

2 cases of measles confirmed in P.E.I., with many public exposure sites listed

Two new cases of measles have been confirmed in Prince Edward Island, with the people involved unrelated to each other and linked to possible public exposure sites, the province's Chief Public Health Officer says. 

U of T offers to host some Harvard international students amid Trump turmoil

International students facing possible visa restrictions amid U.S. President Donald Trump's crackdown on Harvard University may have a back-up plan for returning to school in the fall — studying in Canada. 

N.W.T. RCMP urge caution with explosives after old prospecting materials found in Hay River home

N.W.T. RCMP say they evacuated part of Hay River on Tuesday after the discovery of degraded explosives in a home.

Young girl, adult dead following house fire in northeast Calgary

A nine-year-old girl and a man in his 50s are dead following a house fire early Thursday morning in northeast Calgary.

Frank Stronach pleads not guilty to 12 sexual assault charges, trial set for February

Billionaire businessman Frank Stronach is now set to stand trial in his Toronto sexual assault case early next year before a judge alone.

P.E.I. man who started string of North Shore fires in 2023 gets 2 years in prison

A 20-year-old Prince Edward Island man has been sentenced to two years in a federal prison for his part in a series of property fires along the Island's North Shore in the fall of 2023.

© 2008 - 2025 Webjosh  |  News Archive  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us