By Tyler Marr

Early start blamed for higher than normal number of flu cases this season

Dec 28, 2018 | 4:00 PM

Despite over 1,000 more lab-confirmed cases of influenza this testing season compared to last, the province’s chief medical health officer is confident we will not have any worse of a season.

According to the provincial weekly influenza surveillance report for the week ending Dec. 22, there were 1,571 lab-confirmed cases since September 2018. For the same period last flu season, just 598 were reported, and in 2016, only 318.

Dr. Saqib Shahab credited the high number to an early start to the flu season, noting spikes in confirmed cases as early as mid-November, as opposed to usual upticks in January.

“We think we are going to peak at the end of December and start tapering down in January. It is just about three weeks earlier than before,” he said. “You can’t really predict from year to year when the flu will begin.”

As well, for the same period, there have been 12 intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and four deaths related to influenza, as opposed to just two deaths in 2017 and only one death and four ICU admissions in 2016.

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Shahab said the health authority was not overly focused on those numbers, as the data followed a trend from years past.

“If it starts earlier, it ends earlier and if it starts later, like in 2016, it ends later. In terms of looking at the curve so far, it looks like a typical flu season,” he said.

A large swath of those infected this season are under the age of five. Shahab remained parents to not send a child to school or daycare if they are sick and to teach healthy habits, like rigorous hand washing and coughing or sneezing into a sleeve or tissue.

“Those kinds of things can go a long way to make sure we prevent large outbreaks,” he said.

Over 277,000 doses of the flu vaccine have been handed out this season, the doctor said, which is about a three per cent increase over 2017.

Despite flu season peaking and the vaccine taking a couple of weeks to develop an immune system response, Shahab recommended those who have yet to get vaccinated do so, as it also protects against the wave of influenza B strain that peaks later in the season.

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr

by Tyler Marr

Early start blamed for higher than normal number of flu cases this season

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