Prime Minister François Legault this week warned younger Quebecers of the threat of ending up in hospital due to COVID-19. The risk of being admitted is very real, regardless of age, but contrary to what he said, the number of young people hospitalized is not significantly higher now than in previous waves. Admittedly, the proportion of those under 60 entering the hospital is higher than before, but this is mainly because the number of older patients is decreasing.
• Read also: François Legault’s vague assertions
FRANÇOIS LEGAULT’S AFFIRMATIONS TESTED BY THE FACTS
THE STATEMENT
“Obviously, if they enter the hospital, it is because they have relatively serious problems. […] In absolute numbers, the number of young people has doubled, if we compare with the peak of the first wave. “
“The portrait has changed a lot among the youngest. There are many more young people who are hospitalized. “
FACTS
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These statements are misleading. Compared to the peak of the first wave, there are roughly the same number of young people admitted to the hospital.
At the peak of wave one hospitalizations, the week of April 19, 2020, 173 people under the age of 60 entered the hospital for treatment for COVID-19. Last week, 159 people of this age category were admitted to a hospital.
Even if we are interested in those under 30, hospitalizations are far from having doubled. The week of April 19, 2020, 22 young people aged 0 to 29 were admitted to hospital due to COVID, up from 23 last week.
“The Prime Minister was talking about hospitalizations at the start of the extract in question, but he was talking about the number of cases which has effectively more than doubled in people aged 60-69 and under compared to the peak of the first wave”, maintains Ewan Sauves, press attaché for François Legault.
THE STATEMENT
“Currently, in our hospitals, when we look at people entering, there is a majority who are under 60 or 65, so maybe 50%, 55%. “
FACTS
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Mr. Legault is right. The day before and the day of his declaration, about 50% of new people hospitalized were indeed people under the age of 60, or 35 out of 72 people and 37 out of 74 people.
However, in 11 of the first 14 days of April, people aged 60 and over accounted for the majority of new hospitalizations.
Also, it is not surprising that the proportion of older Quebecers hospitalized is decreasing, since they have been widely vaccinated.
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