Within the week because the final Alberta Well being flu information replace, the variety of folks hospitalized with the flu has elevated by 216.
For the week of December 10, there have been 1,413 Albertans in hospital with the flu. For the week of December 17, there have been 1,629.
The variety of deaths from the flu additionally rose this week, from 45 to 57. Most deaths this flu season are in Albertans over 60, however there have been two kids beneath the age of 9 who died from the flu.
There have been 170 sufferers handled in intensive care models this week, in comparison with 140 final week.
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Flu hospitalizations proceed to rise in Alberta
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Flu hospitalizations proceed to rise in Alberta
The variety of laboratory-confirmed circumstances rose barely smaller than the earlier week, rising by 572 to 7,681 circumstances. Final week the rise in circumstances was 821.
Confirmed circumstances per week have decreased over the previous 4 weeks. Influenza A (H3N2) remains to be the dominant pressure.
Hospitalizations and deaths within the 2022-23 flu season so far have met or surpassed latest historic totals. In 2018-19 there have been 1,391 hospitalizations and 30 deaths. The 2019-20 flu season had 39 deaths and 1,534 hospitalizations.
The 2017-18 season marked a high-water mark for hospitalizations and deaths previously decade at 3,047, and the 2014-15 season had 114 deaths.
Between 2009 and 2020, Alberta noticed a mean of 1,483 hospitalizations, 161 ICU admissions, and 41 deaths in a flu season.
The proportion of Albertans vaccinated in opposition to the flu rose barely this week — about one per cent — to 26 per cent protection.
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Is it too late to get a COVID booster or flu shot earlier than the vacations? What consultants say
The federal authorities despatched postcards to 6 million households throughout Canada forward of the vacation season, urging Canadians to step up their precautions as numerous viruses – together with COVID-19 – proceed to unfold.
The postcard warns that “extra time indoors this fall and winter may result in extra COVID-19 sickness.”
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It goes on to remind recipients that bivalent COVID-19 vaccines, which provide safety in opposition to the Omicron variant, are actually obtainable — and that you need to contemplate getting a booster shot if it has been six months since your final COVID-19 vaccine or an infection.
The postcard additionally tells the reader that extra particular person public well being measures, similar to masking in crowded areas and staying dwelling when sick, “are at all times a good suggestion.”
The warning comes as a number of different respiratory sicknesses are circulating in Canadian communities — particularly amongst kids. The flu and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) swept by means of Canadian households and strained hospital sources.
“Respiratory sicknesses enhance within the fall and winter, when folks spend extra time indoors,” mentioned Anna Maddison, a spokeswoman for Well being Canada and the Public Well being Company of Canada.
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Dr. Infectious illness specialist Isaac Bogoch mentioned that even when the flu season is at its peak proper now, it is “a great distance down the opposite aspect of the barrier — that means there’s nonetheless a variety of flu season forward and you need to nonetheless be protected to get.”
“We’re getting into the vacation season. We will have numerous shut contacts with folks,” he mentioned in a Dec. 16 interview with AM640 Toronto, a radio station owned by World Information’ guardian firm Corus Leisure.
“Have fun, have a good time, however do it responsibly…. In the event you can cut back your threat of getting contaminated or infecting different folks, you need to.”
Dr. Melanie Bechard, a pediatric emergency medication doctor in Ottawa, is encouraging Canadians to get their flu shot and COVID boosters in the event that they have not already.
“I’ve seen a variety of struggling in little those that most likely may have been prevented or diminished by getting the flu shot early,” Bechard mentioned. “The very best time to get the flu shot was a month in the past, however the subsequent finest time to get it’s now.”
– With information from Adam Toy, Heidi Lee, Rachel Gilmore, World Information
© 2022 World Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
