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Health unit warns that a spring influenza wave is on its way

Spring is in the air in Sudbury, so is the flu bug
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You may not have noticed yet, but the flu season is about to hit Sudbury and the rest of Ontario this spring.

That's the expectation from Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, the medical officer of health for Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD). Sutcliffe was commenting at the recent board of health meeting about the recent increase in Influenza A across Canada, as outlined in Health Canada surveillance reports.

Sutcliffe said this unusually late outbreak is something public health has not faced before and so it is difficult to predict how it will pan out. She said the flu season usually hits in the fall and tapers off in the spring.

She said with so many people taking pandemic precautions, such as masking and diligent handwashing, the flu did not hit Canadians in the fall as was expected. 

Sutcliffe said with all the public health restrictions being lifted, the flu is making a comeback. 

"In the last week or two, Canada and North America are reaching numbers that we will see the beginning of the influenza season. And this, of course, is not because of anything else, except for all of the public health measures that were protecting us from COVID  were also protecting us from other respiratory infections, such as influenza," Sutcliffe said.

PHSD, responding to an inquiry from Sudbury.com, said the numbers have been rising since the first week of May when the first two cases of the season were reported.

"To date a total of 49 cases of influenza have been reported in Public Health Sudbury & Districts’ service area. All reported cases are of Influenza A and for those that have received subtyping they are H3. This trend has been occurring across Canada which has reached seasonal thresholds," PHSD said in an email statement. “In Ontario, the most recent data shows influenza activity is increasing across the province and an increase in the number of institutional outbreaks being reported.”

The health unit said testing is usually limited to people who show signs of illness, but this year children are also being tested.

"In Ontario, testing for influenza virus is limited to certain individuals including those who are in hospital, outbreak associated cases and residents in institutions who have symptoms of acute respiratory infection. This year to support enhanced surveillance of respiratory viruses across the province, children under age 18 who are seen in the emergency department for respiratory illness are also being tested," said the PHSD.

The health unit is encouraging Sudbury residents to keep up with pandemic-style precautions which will also keep the flu bug away.

"The same infection prevention and control practices that prevent and reduce the spread of COVID-19 are beneficial in preventing the spread of influenza and these include cleaning your hands frequently and thoroughly, covering coughs and sneezes and staying home when ill with symptoms of respiratory infection," PHSD said. 

"Physical distancing and wearing a mask are also beneficial and can limit the spread of respiratory viruses such as influenza. Influenza is spread through large respiratory droplets that are expelled through activities such as coughing and sneezing," the statement continued.

PHSD also said that influenza vaccine is offered free of charge in Ontario for anyone aged six months of age or older and remains the best way to protect yourself from influenza. 

The vaccine is particularly recommended for people with medical conditions who are at risk of developing complications from an influenza infection. For more information on the influenza virus or influenza vaccination opportunities, please visit our website at PHSD.ca or call Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705-522-9200 (toll-free 1-866-522-9200).

Len Gillis covers health care and mining for Sudbury.com.


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Len Gillis

About the Author: Len Gillis

Graduating from the Journalism program at Canadore College in the 1970s, Gillis has spent most of his career reporting on news events across Northern Ontario with several radio, television and newspaper companies. He also spent time as a hardrock miner.
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