Flu cases soar in Nova Scotia, doctors call it ‘epidemic’

The head of the Infectious Diseases Division at the IWK Health Center said Nova Scotia is experiencing a flu epidemic as cases surge sharply.

Dr Joanne Langley said this year’s flu season started in October. It usually starts in late December or early January.

“We are definitely in an epidemic when we look at the expected number of cases and the expected timing of tracking,” Langley said. “This is an unusual season. The number of cases is rising very quickly and is at a fairly high level.”

Her comments came after the numbers were released in a new report closely monitoring flu cases in the state.

According to data from the state’s latest Respiratory Surveillance Report, 87 laboratory-confirmed flu cases were reported in the week ending 12 November. Previously, Nova Scotia didn’t reach that number of weeks until March.

Langley believes the number of cases in the community is even higher. She said the flu can be serious for some people, especially children under the age of five.

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“More than half of Nova Scotia’s cases in its surveillance system are people under the age of 19,” she said.

According to the federal government, influenza is among the top 10 causes of death in Canada. An estimated 12,200 hospitalizations and her 3,500 deaths occur in the country each year.

Langley encourages people to book their flu shots.

“There are some aspects that make me worry about different flu seasons,” she said. “One was whether people had time to get vaccinated. Usually the vaccine program rolls out her in October, but really, from the fall she can get vaccinated all the way up to January. Now. We need to get vaccinated now.”

In a statement, Nova Scotia’s Department of Health and Human Services reported that nearly 18,000 appointments had been booked out of 39,000 available.

Of these, 3,443 are scheduled for the 6 months to 2 years group. He has 14,544 bookings for ages 2 and up.

The state is also reminding the public that vaccines can take up to two weeks to provide protection.

“We encourage everyone to continue the healthy habits they have learned and adopted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement said. “If possible, people with cold or flu symptoms should stay home until they feel better. You must avoid the environment.”

Langley isn’t sure what will happen in the coming months regarding the spread of the virus.

“This is a rare situation in a world that has had a pandemic that has basically eliminated the circulation of many viruses and bacteria,” she said. I have.”

However, Langley added that peak epidemics typically last four to eight weeks.

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