CHEO warns flu surge to continue until mid-January
CHEO is warning of a difficult holiday season as the number and severity of cases of the flu and respiratory viruses surge in the capital.
New numbers released from CHEO show children and youth are coming through the hospital in record numbers this fall.
The hospital says since September, the regional lab at CHEO has identified 992 cases of influenza, a record number. In November alone, the children’s hospital admitted 73 influenza cases, the highest number aside from one month during H1N1 in 2009. The hospital also saw the most ever admissions for RSV in a single month at 149 cases.
Dr. Chuck Hui, Chief of Infectious Diseases, Immunology and Allergy at CHEO says, “It is actually quite stunning because it’s two to three times what we would normally seen in peak year. The only time we have more cases of influenza was in H1NI, which was a whole different pandemic on its own.”
Hui says the ICU and hospital continue to feel unprecedented demands. “CHEO is at overcapacity, and has been since in early the fall. Influenza arrived early last month and all indicators show that there is steep, steep rise in influenza in the community right now.”
After a surge in RSV earlier this fall, the flu is now making up most cases at the hospital. “The vast majority right now of what we are seeing are influenza, those are the patients on the floor and also in the ICU.”
Hui says many children admitted are under the age of five.
With the holidays only two weeks away, the hospital says pace and volumes are not expected to slow, and warn cases could increase.
“The numbers are going up and continue to go up,” Hui says. “We expect that the numbers will continue to go up and we won't see light at the end of the tunnel until mid-January.”
Hui says the flu can be much more severe in children. Across all ages there are 12,000 hospital admissions per year in Canada and 3,500 deaths every year.
Hui says flu symptoms include, “high fever, a cough muscle pains, shivering like you are really cold and can’t get warm, and it feels like you have been hit by a truck.”
Hui is encouraging people to get their flu shot and says this year’s flu shot is a great match for influenza this year.
“[It] will provide good protection for yourself and your loved ones against severe disease.”
It is a message echoed by Ottawa’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches
“Influenza is definitely here and the level in high in Ottawa, and it is expected to stick around for the coming month,” Etches says. “The most important message is it is not too late to get your flu shot, whether you are six months or an older adult.”
For locations and to book an appointment with Ottawa Public Health Flu Immunization Clinics, visit the OPH Flu Immunization Online Booking System.
Pharmacies can provide flu vaccines to children aged 2 years and older. See the list of participating pharmacies: Influenza (Flu) Participating Pharmacies - Ottawa Public Health
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.