Alberta faces another uptick in flu cases as season intensifies in North America
Influenza appears to be making a comeback in Alberta after slowing down in January.
The positivity rate for the flu is 19 per cent and case counts are ticking up again after dipping last month, suggesting the flu season is still in high gear.
“There’s sort of a double peak this year in influenza A,” said Dr. Chris Mody, a professor in the department of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary.
After surging in December, flu cases dropped during the first half of January. They started ticking up again later in the month, provincial data shows.
Both surges have been sparked by a mix of two different Influenza A strains: H3N2 and H1N1.
According to Mody, there have been double waves of Influenza A in some previous seasons.
He said there could be a number of reasons for this year’s second peak. He believes it could be driven, in part, by recent cold spells, which have pushed people indoors, increasing close contact and transmission.
“In late January, it was –20, and of course it’s cold this week, for sure. So you kind of wonder whether or not the temperature fluctuations and how it influences peoples’ behaviour might in part be responsible for the variable number of cases.”
It’s difficult to predict how long the latest wave will last, Mody said.
“Sometimes a peak might be as short as two or three weeks. Sometimes the peak is double that.”
The province’s respiratory virus dashboard shows there have been 1,298 hospitalizations and 101 intensive care unit admissions due to influenza so far this season. In addition, 59 Albertans have died due to the flu.
In a statement, Alberta Health Services said the province is experiencing fewer flu-related hospitalizations this year than it did last year.
“The province is actively managing the busy respiratory illness season by taking proactive steps to ensure patients receive the necessary care,” spokesperson Holly Budd said in the email.
More than 200 temporary surge beds have been added in hospitals across the province to address the increase in demand, according to AHS.
And it continues to recruit temporary nurses and other health care staff, Budd said.
North American trend
The latest provincial uptick is part of a trend across Canada and the United States, according to Mody.
The U.S. appears to be experiencing one of its most intense flu seasons in recent years, with schools forced to temporarily close in some states.
And the Public Health Agency of Canada shows a recent — and sharp — increase in the number of cases and the positivity rate.
“When you look at all the data together, we are very much in the middle of flu season right now. And there are a lot of people getting sick,” said Dr. Christopher Labos, a Montreal-based cardiologist and epidemiologist and associate with McGill University’s Office for Science and Society.
He is urging people to take steps to protect themselves.
“If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, I would say probably it’s still worthwhile to get vaccinated because we are still in the thick of flu season,” he said.
“Especially if you are a high risk.… It’s a very minor thing that you can do that probably could make the difference between you being sick enough to go to hospital versus you being OK enough to ride it out at home.”
So far this season, 20 per cent of Albertans have received a flu shot.
Labos recommends wearing a mask in high-risk situations and staying home when you’re sick.
Meanwhile, Mody said Influenza B — which generally shows up later in the season — could lead to another surge in cases.
COVID-19 and RSV cases have been dropping in recent weeks.
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