Why comparing COVID-19 hospitalization numbers between provinces isn’t apple to apples – CBC

Some provinces count patients who remain in hospital but are no longer infectious, while others don’t

Apr 08, 2021

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospital and intensive care has been on the rise in many provinces lately, but comparing these numbers isn’t exactly an apples-to-apples comparison. Not all provinces count patients the same way.

The key difference is whether the official numbers include patients who remain in hospital or intensive care units (ICU) but are no longer considered infectious.

In Alberta, these patients are included in the data that the province publishes daily.

“We report them as long as they are hospitalized with COVID-19 as a contributing cause, regardless of whether they are infectious,” said Alberta Health spokesperson Tom McMillan.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/canada-provinces-comparing-covid-19-hospitalizations-icu-data-1.5973579