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Health officials cautioned yesterday against overreacting to the swine-flu-related deaths of two youths in the last few days, including a 13-year-old boy who died within 48 hours of first showing symptoms.
At least seven more deaths in Canada from the H1N1 virus came to light yesterday, bringing the total of known deaths in Canada related to complications from HIN1 to 96.
Clinics across the country saw brisk business for their second day of offering a vaccine to those believed to be most at risk. Some schools reported absences akin to peak flu season.
Toronto Public Health disclosed that Evan Frustaglio, a Grade 8 student and minor hockey player, who seemed otherwise healthy, died suddenly after showing only minor symptoms over the weekend.
"This took my son. It swept him off his feet. We had no warning," Paul Frustaglio, Evan's father, said in an interview yesterday. "It went from simple flu and to him feeling better to him all of a sudden not breathing. That's how quickly it happened."
A preteen girl from eastern Ontario also fell victim to H1N1 on the weekend.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, director of public health emergency management at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, cautioned against reading too much into the deaths of the two youngsters.
"The average age of hospitalization we're seeing is young children under 15," she said. "Most of them get better, and their illnesses don't progress."
"But because there are so many people susceptible to this virus, it's inevitable that we're going to see people without any underlying risk factors get very sick and die from it, unfortunately."
Dr. Gerald Evans, president of the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada, said it's important to put the deaths of the two young people into context, because teens die during regular flu season as well.
"It gets over-amplified because there is so much in the press right now about pandemic flu," he said.
Ottawa's top health official reported that about 20% of city schools have absentee rates of 10% or higher. While there is no proof that absent students have H1N1 flu, Dr. Isra Levy said the empty desks are the strongest indication yet of the spread of the disease.
Officials at Sacre-Coeur primary school in Quebec City took extreme measures yesterday, ordering that the premises be disinfected when almost 18% of students called in sick after coming down with flu-like symptoms.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Pandemic+second+wave+gathers+momentum/2152936/story.html
At least seven more deaths in Canada from the H1N1 virus came to light yesterday, bringing the total of known deaths in Canada related to complications from HIN1 to 96.
Clinics across the country saw brisk business for their second day of offering a vaccine to those believed to be most at risk. Some schools reported absences akin to peak flu season.
Toronto Public Health disclosed that Evan Frustaglio, a Grade 8 student and minor hockey player, who seemed otherwise healthy, died suddenly after showing only minor symptoms over the weekend.
"This took my son. It swept him off his feet. We had no warning," Paul Frustaglio, Evan's father, said in an interview yesterday. "It went from simple flu and to him feeling better to him all of a sudden not breathing. That's how quickly it happened."
A preteen girl from eastern Ontario also fell victim to H1N1 on the weekend.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, director of public health emergency management at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, cautioned against reading too much into the deaths of the two youngsters.
"The average age of hospitalization we're seeing is young children under 15," she said. "Most of them get better, and their illnesses don't progress."
"But because there are so many people susceptible to this virus, it's inevitable that we're going to see people without any underlying risk factors get very sick and die from it, unfortunately."
Dr. Gerald Evans, president of the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada, said it's important to put the deaths of the two young people into context, because teens die during regular flu season as well.
"It gets over-amplified because there is so much in the press right now about pandemic flu," he said.
Ottawa's top health official reported that about 20% of city schools have absentee rates of 10% or higher. While there is no proof that absent students have H1N1 flu, Dr. Isra Levy said the empty desks are the strongest indication yet of the spread of the disease.
Officials at Sacre-Coeur primary school in Quebec City took extreme measures yesterday, ordering that the premises be disinfected when almost 18% of students called in sick after coming down with flu-like symptoms.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Pandemic+second+wave+gathers+momentum/2152936/story.html