Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

Statistics on Coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) in Ottawa

Last revised on April 27, 2020.

COVID-19 Epidemiology Update

This daily report provides an epidemiologic summary of COVID-19 activity in Ottawa to date. The report includes the most current information available from the integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) and a chart review of COVID-19 cases as of 4:00 p.m. April 26, 2020.

Our database is a dynamic disease reporting system that allows for continuous updates of case information. These data are a snapshot in time, reflect the most accurate information that OPH has at the time of reporting, and the numbers may differ from other sources.

Summary

  • 1154 laboratory-confirmed cases, including 59 deaths, have been reported in Ottawa.
  • This includes 44 new cases and 7 new deaths since the previous report.
  • 10% of cases have been hospitalized (cumulative), including 3% in intensive care (cumulative).
  • The median age of cases is 54 years (range, 4 months to 105 years).
  • There are 22 ongoing outbreaks in institutions. 
  • The most common reported exposure settings for cases include: 60% with close contact with a case only, 16% with no travel and no known contact with a case, 11% with travel only, and 9% with exposure information pending.

Projecting COVID-19 Infections and Hospitalizations 

Many coronavirus infections are mild or cause no symptoms. Because of this, the number of diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa represents only a small fraction of all the people who are infected (Figure 1). Diagnosed cases are often referred to as the “tip of the iceberg,” which means that for each case that is diagnosed, there are likely many individuals who are infected and unknowingly transmitting the infection to others.   

Public health interventions aim to reduce transmission from individuals with known and unknown infection to other individuals.    

Figure 1. Confirmed COVID-19 cases as a subset of all COVID-19 infections. 

 Pyramid, starting with confirmed cases at the top followed by symptomatic infections, people who are infected with COVID-19 virus (symptomatic, asymptomatic and incubating) and all people at the bottom

Notes for Figure 1: Within the entire Ottawa population, a large fraction of people are infected with the COVID-19 virus.  Most of these people do not know they are infected, because only a fraction of infected people show symptoms (i.e., are symptomatic). Among symptomatic people, only a fraction have their symptoms recognized and confirmed with laboratory testing.    

To predict the effect of different public health interventions, and to plan for how many people with COVID-19 will need care, we use models to understand how COVID-19 might spread in a population. Models take into account what we are seeing, in terms of the number of confirmed cases, and what we have learned from other countries about the transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19.   

These models produce epidemiologic “curves,” which show the number of people infected over time with different interventions, such as physical distancing. We evaluate which interventions will best “flatten the curve” and decrease the number of infections occurring within a period of time. This can assist the broader health care system with overall planning in areas like hospital admissions and intensive care unit beds. Public health interventions, such as physical distancing, can be very influential in achieving the goal of “flattening” the curve.

Ottawa Public Health is collaborating with experts at The Ottawa Hospital, University of Toronto and University of Guelph, and regional health partners, to model COVID-19 in Ottawa. 

For projected population counts of confirmed cases, we use models by Ashleigh Tuite, David Fisman, and Amy Greer, University of Toronto and University of Guelph, available at: https://art-bd.shinyapps.io/Ontario_Health_Unit_IDEA_model/ 

For acute care projections, OPH is collaborating with Dr. Doug Manuel and colleagues at The Ottawa Hospital on a model that is more agile to changes in local data, available at:https://613covid.ca/  

Learn more about the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 and the current situation in Ottawa

Perceptions and practices in Ottawa during the COVID 19 response. Results of a population survey March 26 to April 2, 2020

Key messages

  • Most people in Ottawa believe the pandemic is a serious issue (94%) and that governments in Canada are taking the necessary steps to contain COVID-19 (93%).
  • The priority for 40% of people in Ottawa is to do their part to prevent COVID-19 from spreading to others. Another 39% of people are concerned that others they know will get sick.
  • 84% of people have changed their social behaviour in response to COVID-19 by only socializing using remote connections such as communication online or telephone (50%) or using remote connections and socializing outdoors on walks or in the yard (34%). Only 5% of people in Ottawa report socializing in their homes or the homes of friends and family.
  • Over half of people in Ottawa (57%) are worried about the safety of people they know with frail health. A third of people in Ottawa are worried about physical and mental health of themselves or those in their households (35% and 32%, respectively).
  • Compared with the total population, Ottawans who identify as living with a disability are two to three times as likely to identify difficulty in all areas of preparing for when they or someone in their household may become ill as those not living with a disability. Over half of people living with a disability are worried about physical and mental health (50% and 52%, respectively).
  • Over half (53%) of people in Ottawa expect that the current measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 will be in place for two to three months.

Perceptions and practices in Ottawa during the COVID 19 response. Results of a population survey March 26 to April 2, 2020 [PDF 640k]

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