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Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/inuvik-flu-season-early-1.4946682
Flu numbers in Beaufort Delta region hit 5-year high
Region's chief public health officer hopes an earlier start to the season will mean an earlier end
Katie Toth ? CBC News ? Posted: Dec 16, 2018 6:00 AM CT | Last Updated: an hour ago
The flu is ripping through Inuvik.
Dr. Matthew Quinn, a physician and the Beaufort Delta region's public health officer, said he doesn't want to blow the situation out of proportion, but in a text message, said it's "fair to say we're seeing a much worse flu season than usual."
A few patients in the region have been hospitalized, and some have been sent to the intensive care unit, he said in an interview. He's also seen lots of "young, healthy adults" visiting the emergency room.
44 cases so far
Fourty-four people in the region have had confirmed cases of the flu since mid-November, although Quinn said the number is almost certainly higher, as many people do not get swab tests to confirm they have the flu.
This marks a five-year high in the region, which only saw 18 confirmed cases last flu season and 17 the year before that.
Usually people begin getting the flu in December, and the virus peaks in January or February, Quinn said...
Flu numbers in Beaufort Delta region hit 5-year high
Region's chief public health officer hopes an earlier start to the season will mean an earlier end
Katie Toth ? CBC News ? Posted: Dec 16, 2018 6:00 AM CT | Last Updated: an hour ago
The flu is ripping through Inuvik.
Dr. Matthew Quinn, a physician and the Beaufort Delta region's public health officer, said he doesn't want to blow the situation out of proportion, but in a text message, said it's "fair to say we're seeing a much worse flu season than usual."
A few patients in the region have been hospitalized, and some have been sent to the intensive care unit, he said in an interview. He's also seen lots of "young, healthy adults" visiting the emergency room.
44 cases so far
Fourty-four people in the region have had confirmed cases of the flu since mid-November, although Quinn said the number is almost certainly higher, as many people do not get swab tests to confirm they have the flu.
This marks a five-year high in the region, which only saw 18 confirmed cases last flu season and 17 the year before that.
Usually people begin getting the flu in December, and the virus peaks in January or February, Quinn said...