N.B. move to monthly COVID-19 updates ‘wrong thing to do,’ says epidemiologist – CBC
Colin Furness contends switch from weekly reports is based on flawed logic
May 04, 2023
An infection control epidemiologist says he disagrees with New Brunswick’s decision to cut back its COVID-19 updates to monthly instead of weekly, as of this week.
Colin Furness, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, who has followed the progression of the pandemic in New Brunswick, says the move “reflects an attitude that COVID is a seasonal virus, a respiratory virus, and not a particularly serious health concern.”
“In my estimation COVID is not seasonal, it’s not a respiratory virus, and it’s extremely concerning,” he said.
“So I think … the decision is consistent with their logic. I just think that their logic is wrong.”
Tuesday marked the final weekly COVIDWatch report before New Brunswick switches to monthly updates. The province recorded four more COVID deaths, 11 hospitalizations because of the virus, 78 new lab-confirmed cases and a positivity rate of 11 per cent.
