Confirmed flu cases jump nearly 61%: federal data

A needle and syringe used to administer the flu shot in shown in Virgil, Ont., Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tara Walton

Laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza have jumped by almost 61 per cent, according to recent data released Friday.

The latest Canadian respiratory virus surveillance report, produced by the FluWatch+ surveillance program, found that confirmed cases rose from 2,273 to 3,655 in the last week of November.

Thirteen per cent of laboratory tests also came back positive, up from 8.5 per cent the week before.

The report also includes data for COVID-19 and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus.

A University of Toronto infectious disease specialist says this year may be worse than others for the flu but that its still within the realm of normalcy.

“Influenza kills about 450,000 people per year on the planet,” said Dr. Isaac Bogoch. “It’s especially severe in older Canadians and the youngest Canadians, pregnant women and in people who are immunocompromised, but even healthy young people can get absolutely walloped by the flu.”

He advised Canadians to get their flu shot, saying the vaccine this year is “not perfect but it’s still the best we have, and it reduces the risk of the flu.” He said that most people who end up hospitalized with the flu have not received a vaccine.

In the last week of November, FluWatch+ recorded 1,286 hospitalizations related to respiratory illnesses, an increase of 269, or about 26 per cent, from the week before.

FluWatch+ reports three major flu strains this year: H3N2, H1N1 and influenza B.

Bogoch advised that the vaccine will help against them all and emphasized to Canadians how important the vaccine is.

“Of course, (the vaccine) is still going to have some protection, just not as much as we would like,” he said, adding that “the vaccine has components to protect against all three.”