Flu cases surge across Canada as Ottawa hospitals feel pressure ahead of holidays

Doctors are urging people to get vaccinated as influenza surges in Canada, with many people ending up in the hospital. CTV’s Katelyn Wilson reports.

With Christmas just days away, doctors say this flu season is hitting harder and earlier than usual and families across Ottawa are feeling the impact.

Health Canada says flu activity is rising sharply across the country, with nearly 28 per cent of tests now coming back positive, higher than anything seen in the post-pandemic period.

“It’s been rough,” said parent Sarah Farhat. “The kids lost about five days of school, and my husband was home for three days as well and he’s immunocompromised.”

Farhat says it was touch and go for awhile, with her two young kids and husband all sick with the flu.

“We started off with croup symptoms, the barking cough, the headaches, the nausea, they all had fevers of 103 degrees,” she said.

Health Canada says flu cases are rising particularly fast among young children, with data showing children under five now have the second-highest flu hospitalization rate in the country, behind seniors aged 65 and older.

At the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), the strain on the system is already visible. The hospital tells CTV News Ottawa it saw more than 200 patients a day in its emergency department last week, with a high of 261 patients on Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, we’ve seen some deaths in the area, and we’ve seen an overwhelming number of hospital visits and hospitalizations, not just at CHEO, but at hospitals throughout the Ottawa region,” said Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, medical officer of health for the Eastern Ontario Health Unit.

According to Health Canada, the dominant flu strain this year has been associated with higher hospitalization rates, and spreads more easily.

Doctors continue to urge people to get the flu shot, saying it’s not too late.

“Even now, it will give you protection,” Roumeliotis said. “It doesn’t work right away, it takes seven to ten days, but as your immunity builds, you’ll be more protected.”

With holiday gatherings approaching, some say protecting loved ones is top of mind.

“I have a 90-year-old mother-in-law who lives with us, so we are sort of trying to keep her safe as possible as well, but she got her flu shot,” said shopper Carla Van Delen.

Doctors say parents should seek urgent medical care for children under five if they’re showing signs of difficulty breathing or dehydration, such as not drinking fluids, adding flu activity is expected to peak a week or two after Christmas and continue into the new year.

Health Canada is urging people to stay home when sick, wash hands regularly, wear a mask around others if sick and clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces and objects.

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