Alberta's influenza hospitalizations almost triple as flu season intensifies
The number of Albertans with a severe case of influenza nearly tripled last week – and a large number of those impacted are under the age of 20.
The province added more than 500 cases between Oct. 30 and Nov. 5, with 146 of those resulting in hospitalization.
That's a dramatic increase from the week before, when just 50 Albertans needed medical attention.
Young children and teenagers make up a large portion of the uptick.
Sixty-two of the 142 people currently hospitalized are under 20 years old, or 42 per cent.
"There are a lot of absent kids from classrooms right now," said Medeana Moussa with Support Our Students Alberta.
"And when we see these large absentee numbers, it means teachers have to work overtime and students fall behind. When those sick students come back into the classroom, there's catch-up work to be done."
In the 2021-22 flu season, a similar number of total influenza cases had not been reached until the end of April.
That could be a grim sign of the pattern to expect as autumn and winter progress.
"We've personally had our kids home sick throughout the fall season, and that's left a lot of families (like us) scrambling," Moussa said.
"I think we've gotten used to it over the last four years, but we shouldn't be."
Some believe the increase could be a side effect of the pandemic health measures.
"Because there has not been circulation of many of these viruses during the pandemic – it shut down most respiratory viruses when there was all the precautions in place – there's a lot less partially immune people," infectious disease specialist Lynora Saxinger said.
"And so when things get re-introduced, they're really getting off to a roaring start. We saw that with RSV, now we're seeing it with influenza."
The good news? By now, we should be familiar with ways to help our bodies cope.
"Get the flu shot," Saxinger said.
"You can even get that in one arm and a COVID-19 vaccine in the other."
Roughly 15 per cent of Albertans have received a flu immunization.
That's a decrease from last year.
"Influenza is not a cold," Saxinger added.
"It's a severe illness for some, and it's a miserable illness for many."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Lack of detention space could force CBSA to release detainees, internal memo warns
The Canada Border Security Agency is scrambling to find space to hold high-risk detainees that are set to be transferred from provincial jails in June.
BREAKING American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
BREAKING Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist Dickey Betts dies at 80
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, 'Ramblin' Man,' has died. He was 80.
Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
Ontario Provincial Police say they have 'disrupted' an organized crime group that allegedly used an emergency grandparent scam to defraud seniors across Canada out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
What does it mean to be 'house poor' and how can you avoid it?
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Calgary man charged with manslaughter in death of toddler
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.