CANADA HIT BY INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC AS LEVELS ARE HIGHER THAN WHEN COMPARED TO PRE-PANDEMIC YEARS
Nov 15, 2022
By Bob Komsic
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From a triple threat of respiratory viruses, including COVID, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and higher than normal levels of influenza to an epidemic.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says the country has entered a flu epidemic.
The agency’s FluWatch report says the test positivity rate nearly doubled from the last week of October to the first week of November.
The week of October 30 to November 5 saw a rate of 11.7%, compared to 6.3% the previous week.
The Public Health Agency says a flu epidemic is declared most years after the threshold of a 5% positivity rate is surpassed.
However, it adds seasonal flu levels are higher than would have been expected when compared to pre-pandemic years.
COVID-19 restrictions dramatically reduced the spread of influenza in 2020 and 2021.
The agency says there were 13 confirmed outbreaks in the first week of this month; including nine in long-term care homes and one in a school or daycare.