Strategic COVID-19 Pandemic Committee

The virus is threatening our healthcare capacity.

COVID-19 Questions & Myths

Yes. In January 2021, at the peak of the second wave, COVID-19 patients required the equivalent of two large community hospitals and 10 community ICUs, on top of the usual care for patients with other medical and surgical problems. Alberta has less ICU bed capacity than most Canadian provinces at 7.9 ICU beds/100,000 population, following decades of hospital downsizing.  In comparison, the number of ICU beds per 100,000 people in Quebec is 11.4, Nova Scotia 15 , the USA 25, and Germany 35 as per the “Critical Care Capacity in Canada: Results of a National Cross-Sectional Study”.

It is possible to provide extra ICU beds and life support equipment; however, impossible to rapidly create an experienced health care team of ICU doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists for this number of beds.  It takes six years after medical school to educate an ICU specialist and six months of training for a critical care nurse.  Critically ill patients with COVID-19 require a highly trained team working at the bedside around the clock. 

Reference:
i. Critical care capacity in Canada: results of a national cross-sectional study, Fowler RA et al.