OTTAWA

Health officials say there are more H1N1 cases than those confirmed

ctvottawa.ca Published Thursday, June 11, 2009 5:56PM EDT

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Although health officials say there are now 143 confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza in Ottawa, the city's medical officer of health says that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Dr. Isra Levy says doctors are no longer testing everyone who has symptoms of the virus, which means there is no way of knowing the true number of cases in the community.

Health officials say half of the confirmed cases involve children younger than 15 years old.

So far, the H1N1 flu has sent 11 people to hospital, approximately 90 per cent of those patients were under the age of 20. All recovered fairly quickly from the virus.

The H1N1 virus is now suspected in at least 50 Ottawa schools that are either reporting high rates of absenteeism or dealing with at least one student who has tested positive for the virus.

The update from the city comes the same day the World Health Organization declared the H1N1 influenza a pandemic, making it the first global flu pandemic in four decades.

However, the man responsible for emergency preparedness at Ottawa hospitals says although declaring a pandemic is significant, Ottawa residents will not notice a change in how hospitals are dealing with the virus.

Although there may be delays at emergency departments, we're not cancelling any clinics or day surgeries, said Thomas Hayes.

Ontario's premier also said the pandemic won't change how the province is tackling the H1N1 flu.

"We've had a number of protocols in place for a long time. The good news is that the severity of the symptoms in an overall majority of the cases are proven to be moderate," Dalton McGuinty told reporters in Ottawa on Thursday.

Residents who are experiencing mild symptoms of the virus are asked to take care of themselves at home. However, those with significant problems should see a doctor.

Symptoms of the H1N1 flu may include: