Thirty-six cases of influenza A were reported in the first week of June – the most in any week so far this year. Another increase of 32 cases occurred in early May. Both peaks fall outside the normal flu season in the province, which is most intense from about December to April. Less than five cases of influenza A or B are usually detected each year in early June and often none. Reports released by the province also show a steady increase in visits to emergency departments due to flu-like illnesses since mid-May, a trend that continues through June. Dr. Katrina Hurley, doctor and head of the emergency department at the IWK Health Center, says about 10 percent of children who come to the emergency room test positive for non-COVID-19 flu-like illnesses – much higher than usual. one to two percent for this time of year. “June is usually the time when things change – we see, you know, children falling off their bikes, but they usually do not have trouble breathing,” he said. “We are dripping like the peak of the flu season right now and that is not normal.” Nova Scotia has seen non-seasonal increases in influenza A cases in recent weeks. (Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness) Harley said a variety of non-COVID-19 viruses have been identified, including influenza A, rhinovirus, human metapneumonia, enterovirus and parainfluenza. Removing compulsory coverage is likely to contribute to the increase, Hurley said. “The mask protected us not only from COVID, it protected children from virtually everything. And so now that the masks are closed and things are moving, you have this whole group of children under two, two and a half years old, who have not been exposed. in any of these diseases in the past, “he said. “The number of children I see at the moment who go to daycare and say they get sick after illness is the story I hear. I spent two years without being diagnosed with an ear infection and now I’re seeing them almost every shift. So, all that was bothering the children and was a normal part of childhood have disappeared and now they are back. “ The coverage requirement in Nova Scotia schools was lifted on 24 May. (Jon Cherry / Getty Images) Dr Tanya Munroe, an emergency room physician at Colchester East Hants Health Center, also believes that switching to optional coverage, especially in schools, may be to blame for the increased circulation of the respiratory virus. “When you look at the schools, where they held the mask command more than the general public, which was a good idea, now that they are out of this population, this is a very good Petri dish to spread a lot of viruses. “ Munroe said it is possible that the apparent increase in confirmed cases of non-COVID-19 respiratory virus is due to increased testing for them. He said that before COVID, if a patient went to the emergency department with a cough, cold, runny nose, fever or muscle aches and pains, he would probably only take swabs if he was in a high-risk population, such as a long-term resident or hospital. Now, as patients in the emergency department undergo a swab to rule out COVID-19, these swabs are also being treated for influenza A, B and respiratory syncytial virus. “So we are discovering cases because we are looking in a way that we would not do historically,” Munroe said. The decline in the effectiveness of the flu vaccine may be partly responsible for the recent rise in influenza A, says Dr Shelley Deeks, Nova Scotia ‘s Deputy Chief Medical Officer. (David Greedy / Getty Images) Munroe also wondered if receiving the flu vaccine had been delayed this season, leading to a greater spread of the flu. The Ministry of Health and Welfare has not been able to provide statistics on how many Nova Scotians have received the flu vaccine this year. Dr Shelley Deeks, Nova Scotia ‘s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, agreed that lifting restrictions on COVID-19 could lead to the transmission of other viruses. He said the outbreak of influenza A at the end of the season could also be caused by the decline in the effectiveness of the flu vaccines, many of which were administered last autumn, as well as the limited effectiveness of the vaccine against what has been shown to be was the dominant strain of the virus. Nova Scotia is far from experiencing an outbreak of influenza outside the regular season. Deeks said this trend has been spotted across the country, but national numbers appear to have peaked a few weeks ago.
“We are in unknown territory”
Munroe is somewhat optimistic that the circulation of respiratory viruses will decrease with the onset of summer, as people spend more time outdoors. Hurley is a little more hesitant. “I would not use the word ‘I’m optimistic,’” he said. “I hope that changes and we will have a short break during the summer before he comes back when the kids go back to school. “But I feel that what the graphs and data show me is that we can not predict what will happen. I think we are in an unknown area.” The IWK emergency department currently has about 40 percent more patients than usual at the time, so Hurley urged people to understand if they were experiencing longer than normal waiting times. “We want to take good care of them and do the best we can with the resources we have.”
