The December disconnect: Why COVID alone is not to blame for Manitoba's newest ICU crisis

On May 19, during the most nerve-wracking moment of the third wave of the pandemic, Manitoba intensive care wards struggled to treat a record 131 patients.

Never before had Manitoba ICUs had to care for so many humans. It wouldn't happen again during that third wave, thanks to the pragmatic decision that week to begin flying critically ill COVID-19 patients to hospitals in other provinces.

With the benefit of hindsight, Manitoba had no choice. Politicians who banked on the third wave receding were proven wrong. Epidemiologists and medical professionals who pleaded for tougher restrictions were proven right.

When you think back to that upsetting week, most Manitobans had no problem comprehending something terrible had happened to their hospitals after the belated third wave of COVID-19 finally brought the delta variant to this province.

During the leadup to the loneliest Victoria Day long weekend ever, restaurants and many other businesses remained closed. Socializing with anyone outside your household was forbidden, even outdoors. Former premier Brian Pallister was blaming U.S. President Joe Biden for the slow pace of vaccinations instead of comforting Manitobans.

In other words, the crisis outside hospitals mirrored the crisis inside their critical care wards.

But this isn't the case right now, as ICUs lurch into another crisis. 

Almost every Manitoba business is open, at least to people immunized against COVID-19. Restaurants and bars are starting to hum with holiday traffic. Christmas shoppers are flocking to malls and big-box stores. Movie theatres are showing winter blockbusters. Canada Life Centre is hosting hockey games again.

Life has seemingly returned to near normal — with the notable exception of hospitals.

This is not because of record numbers of COVID cases or COVID patients. The fourth wave of the pandemic has been significant, but not quite devastating, thanks to vaccinations.

Instead, hospitals are struggling because they can't find enough people to work in ICUs.

This is happening even as Monday's total ICU patient burden stood at 90 people, which is only two thirds the patient count on that horrible day in May — and one of the lower totals disclosed by Shared Health since the start of the pandemic.

Faced with the task of ramping up ICU capacity to ensure no patient will ever be transferred out of province again, Manitoba has been unable to manage even a diminishing patient load.

"Every day has become an exercise in 'Where do we find the next bed?' " Dr. Eric Jacobsohn, a St. Boniface hospital ICU physician, said on Monday. "This whole morning has been 'Who is going where?' "