As the number of confirmed cases continues to rise, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) estimates the province could see 9,000 to 15,000 deaths from COVID-19.
According to a presentation put out by the SHA, the draft based on early modeling at 30 per cent infection and 鈥渨orst-case scenarios" said Saskatchewan could see 300,000 infected. Of those, 80 per cent or 240,000 would be able to deal with the virus at home, 45,000 would require hospitalization, 15,000 would be in ICU and a fatality rate of nine to 15,000.
SHA鈥檚 CEO Scott Livingstone said in a later press conference, joined by minster of health Jim Reiter and Dr. Saqib Shahab, chief medical officer, it's critical people understand they have to consider worst case scenarios when they are doing their planning.
鈥淭he reality is the only way we can avoid the worst-case scenario is with help from the public,鈥� said Livingstone. 鈥淥ur ability to withstand capacity pressures as a health system will depend on you the public practising hygiene, practising social distancing,鈥� he added.
As Shahab stated earlier, if measures with social distancing are not taken seriously, 鈥渘o healthcare system in the world can deal with a surge in cases.鈥�
The SHA鈥檚 presentation said there are only 109 ICU beds and 2,457 acute care beds province-wide with 198 ventilators.
The SHA鈥檚 draft said at peak pandemic, Saskatoon health facilities alone will need the capacity to provide ventilatory support to nearly 500 to 600 patients, and support to 2,000 patients who do not require ventilation.
With the need for ventilators at an all-time high around the globe, Reiter said he鈥檚 optimistic they will get more as the orders have been made.
鈥淚鈥檓 optimistic we鈥檙e going to get some,鈥� said Reiter. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to diminish the situation, ventilators are a very big concern right now,鈥� said Reiter.
Susan Shaw, chief medical officer with the SHA, said the commitment of SHA is to prepare and do everything possible on their end to be ready.
The presentation said SHA acute services will 鈥渁dapt and expand鈥� to meet the projected COVID-19 patient demand while continuing to deliver acute services to non-pandemic patients throughout the duration of the pandemic in order to minimize loss of life.
Livingstone said the SHA is continuing to update the model as they get more data specific to what is happening in the Saskatchewan population and elsewhere with respect to the spread of COVID-19.
Shahab said there are investigations going further supporting that there may now be community transmission in Saskatchewan.
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鈥淭hat is really the start of a new phase for us. We are still investigating those, maybe we鈥檒l find that someone met someone who travelled. If you don鈥檛 find that [information] in three or four days, chances are you aren鈥檛 going to find it,鈥� said Shahab
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