The flu season is currently peaking and hitting the province hard, as two different strains of the virus are circulating at the same time. This situation has repercussions in hospital emergencies.
“We are in the big epidemic weeks,” notes Dr. Gaston De Serres, epidemiologist at the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ). Throughout the month of January, we’re going to have a lot of flu. ”
Between December 29 and January 4, 1,735 cases of influenza (strains A and B) were reported in Quebec, according to the INSPQ. “It’s a lot,” says Dr. De Serres.
The number of cases has been increasing steadily since November.
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Dr Karl Weiss, Microbiologist
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The H3N2 and H1N1 strains are currently circulating, but they are no more virulent than usual.
According to Dr. Karl Weiss, a microbiologist at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, the peak is about the same time as last year.
Particular fact this year: the two types of the virus (A and B) circulate at the same time. Usually, strain A strikes the first, and a second wave (B) arrives later in the winter. The same phenomenon was noted two years ago.
“Usually there is competition between viruses. But there, everyone shared the market. It just makes a different distribution of cases, ”illustrates Dr. Weiss.
“It surprised us to see that strain B was also present so early,” said Dr. Simon-Pierre Landry, who works in the emergency room at Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts hospital in the Laurentians.
In addition, the emergencies of the various hospitals have been overwhelmed for two weeks.
According to Dr. Landry, the influenza season makes older people especially sick.
“Yes, it plays on ridership, but it’s always like that. It’s not a SARS pandemic [Syndrome respiratoire aigu sévère], or the Spanish flu ”, he nuances.
The effectiveness of the flu vaccine won’t be known until later in the season, but there is still time to get the flu shot.
Weekly flu cases
- From December 29, 2019 to January 4, 2020: 1735
- From December 22 to 28, 2019: 1503
- From December 15 to 21, 2019: 958
- From December 8 to 14, 2019: 546
- From December 1 to 7, 2019: 261
- From November 24 to 30, 2019: 192
- From November 17 to 23, 2019: 91
- From November 10 to 16, 2019: 40
Source: INSPQ (strains A and B)
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