BC reports 5 new H1N1 deaths but peak may be over

[B.C.]

BC reports 5 new H1N1 deaths but peak may be over
By Crawford Kilian November 17, 2009 11:25 am

Both hospitalizations for H1N1, and deaths from the disease, rose in B.C. this past week, according to today's weekly update from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control. But the numbers are lower than for the previous week.

According to the B.C. CDC Surveillance Update for November 16, 144 new H1N1 hospitalizations were reported as of yesterday, for a total of 755. The total as of November 9 had been 611.

In addition, five deaths were reported: two in the Interior Health Authority, and one each in Vancouver Coastal, Fraser, and Vancouver Island. They have raised the provincial total to 30.

The update says persons with at least one underlying medical condition made up 63.1% of hospitalized H1N1 cases, 75.7% of cases admitted to intensive care, and 88% of deaths. The median age of those dying of the disease is 46.

The number of hospitalizations and ICU admissions fell this past week to about 140, a sharp drop from the 200 reported the previous week. As well, the five deaths represent a drop from the eight reported on November 10.

Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.

http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/Health/2009/11/17/PeakOver/

 

[Roehl_JC]

Re: BC reports 5 new H1N1 deaths but peak may be over

Five more B.C. H1N1 flu deaths
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 | 12:40 pm

Canwest News Service

Five more British Columbians have died from the H1N1 flu.

Since Nov. 10, there have been 144 new severe cases of swine flu identified in B.C. ? 49 in Fraser Health, 42 in Vancouver Coastal Health, 30 in Interior Health, 15 on Vancouver Island and eight in Northern Health.


The dead are in Interior Health (two), Vancouver Coastal Health (one), Fraser Health (one) and Vancouver Island (one).

The majority of lab-confirmed cases in B.C. have been mild or moderate in severity, with the patients either having already recovered or currently recovering.

In total, B.C. Centre for Disease Control has confirmed 755 severe H1N1 cases in B.C. since April 2009, including: 304 in Fraser Health, including 12 deaths; 160 in Interior Health, including six deaths; 33 in Northern Health; 203 in Vancouver Coastal Health, including seven deaths; and 55 on Vancouver Island, including five deaths.

To date, 30 laboratory-confirmed H1N1 cases in B.C. are reported to have died. Of those, 23 cases had underlying medical conditions while four had no underlying conditions. Investigation is still ongoing in the other three cases.

The weekly report, released every Tuesday at noon, includes only severe confirmed H1N1 cases (hospitalizations and deaths).

For more detailed surveillance data, visit www.bccdc.ca

http://www.kelowna.com/2009/11/17/five-more-b-c-h1n1-flu-deaths/