Lab-confirmed flu cases double in Nova Scotia
April Vansnick and her daughter waited about four hours at a walk-in clinic to see a doctor for their flu symptoms.
“It’s just a relentless flu bug,” Vansnick said.
Cases of the flu are multiplying as the virus showed up earlier than usual this year.
Nova Scotia’s latest Respiratory Watch data shows that in the last three weeks of November, lab-confirmed cases more than doubled each week. From Nov. 20 to 26, there were 524 new cases of influenza A and no new cases of influenza B.
The data also showed eight people who tested positive with the flu have died so far this season, although it notes influenza may not have been the major contributing cause of death.
At daycares in the Halifax Regional Municipality, operators are noticing a major drop in attendance.
“We’ve experiencing between 40 and 50 per cent absenteeism with our children,” said Bonnie Minard, Executive Director of Portland Daycare Centre. “With our staff, we’ve 30 to 40 per cent out.”
Minard said it’s been going on for about two to three weeks and many children are out for eight to ten days, which is unusual.
“I think a good portion of it has been the flu, but there has been a few cases of RSV,” she said, noting that other daycares are experiencing similar illness—causing closures of rooms or centres.
“We need a certain number of people to operate,” she said.
Eric Coates, the Clinical Transformation Director for Nova Scotia’s Central Zone and interim position as Director of the Halifax Infirmary Emergency Department, said several hospitals are seeing more patients with flu-like symptoms.
He pointed out that at Dartmouth General Hospital, 10 per cent of patients are showing flu-like symptoms, while at the Cobequid Community Health Centre, that number jumps to 22 per cent.
“That’s absolutely higher than usual,” Coates said. “Probably about double.”
A higher number of patients with respiratory symptoms also translates into longer waits.
“It takes longer to process those people. Registration, triage and actually see them in the department due to infection control practises,” said Kate MacWilliams, a manager of Health Services at Nova Scotia Health.
She described hospitals as being overcapacity and understaffed but wants patients to seek care if they need it.
“If they require emergency care, then they need to come to the emergency department -- and they need to stay,” MacWilliams said.
Pharmacists are also busier than usual.
“I’m currently giving more flu shots this year than I have in previous years,” said Jamie Flynn, pharmacist and the owner of a Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy in Clayton Park.
If you’ve had the flu, but not the flu shot, Flynn is encouraging people to get it.
“Get the flu shot afterwards. Once they’re feeling better,” he said. “To try to keep from getting that again.”
According to Nova Scotia’s Department of Health and Wellness, 255,000 doses of influenza have been administered and at least 26 per cent of the population is vaccinated for the flu.
The province said 54 per cent of people over of people over 65 have got the shot.
“Coverage is low in children and youth, with coverage in children under five at only about 12.5 per cent,” a provincial spokesperson said.
“It’s important to note our numbers for influenza vaccine coverage aren’t updated as frequently as they are for COVID-19 vaccines.”
Nova Scotia Health is also urging people to be patient and kind as they try to seek care.
“There’s more aggression and violence in our waiting rooms and emergency departments than ever before. Alarmingly high,” said Eric Coates.
“These folks who worked to try to keep these departments open and save lives are human beings who’ve been slogging it out for the hardest season of the system. They deserve the patience that everyone else might.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.