FLU SEASON DEADLY
Two strains have claimed five Sask. lives so far
Peak flu season has broken on Saskatchewan, with hundreds of confirmed cases and five deaths so far.
From the beginning of September to Jan. 11, there have been 1,050 confirmed flu cases in Saskatchewan. This includes 30 outbreaks in long-term care facilities and 16 admissions to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), said the province’s chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab on Friday.
Of the five deaths, three were seniors and two were adults. The majority of the ICU admissions were seniors, although one was a child under the age of five, said Shahab.
Currently the most common flu strain circulating is the A strain H3N2, which can affect people at any age but typically hits the elderly hardest. What is out of the ordinary this year is that a B strain is going around at the same time as the A strain, instead of only hitting in February or March as it usually does.
“It’s a bit unusual in that sense,” said Shahab, noting that the B strain can affect younger people more severely.
Canadian chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam recently stated that children across the country are more at risk of being hospitalized from the flu this year, but Shahab said Saskatchewan has not seen this yet.
“What we’re seeing is what we see typically at the peak of the flu (season),” he said. “The fact that more parents are taking their children to get vaccinated I think is going to have a protective effect.”
Saskatchewan brought in a record number of flu vaccines this year with 436,000 doses ordered, and Shahab said there was a 15-per-cent increase in people getting their flu shot from last year.
Concerns of overcrowded ERS is also par for the course when the flu season hits its peak, said Shahab.
“Whenever it peaks, there’s always a bit of an added burden to ERS and to obviously ICU and medical floors, so we are seeing what we see every year,” he said.
For those wondering whether they have the flu or just a common cold, Shahab said most people can identify the exact hour they start showing flu symptoms because of its quick onset.
“It’s not like a cold. You suddenly get aches and pains in your body, maybe a pain in your throat, high fever and then the fever settles down in two or three days and you feel tired for up to a week,” he said.
“Usually you’ll recover by staying at home and drinking plenty of fluids.”
The peak season is expected to last another four to six weeks before transmission rates begin to slow down.