Newfoundland and Labrador reports the first cases of influenza in almost two years, with an outbreak of 75 cases reported in the Labrador-Grenfell Health Area.
According to the Ministry of Health, the case is the first in the province since June 2020. A total of 81 cases have been reported in recent weeks: 75 in Labrador-Grenfell Health, five in Eastern Health and one in Western Health.
For the framework, the province reported 708 flu cases in 2019 and 2020 – the last time the data needed to be disclosed, as no cases have been reported in the last 23 months. A department spokesman says the weekly flu report will continue this week.
Dr Joanne McGee, chief physician for Labrador-Grenfell Health, said Monday that the county has seen a much lower prevalence of influenza with the spread of COVID-19 over the past two years. However, cases have been sporadically detected across the country over the past month or so.
“We have had a number of confirmed cases of influenza A … affecting many communities in our area,” McGee said. “We have dealt with COVID-19 and there have certainly been very few, if any, cases of the flu. But it can be quite serious.”
There are several reasons why flu cases could be reduced during a pandemic.
In October, Memorial University biochemistry professor Sherri Christian told CBC News that measures to prevent COVID-19, such as mask use, were likely to reduce the spread of the flu, which also meant the flu could recur as it began. remove restrictions on public health.
Some medical experts also share the notion of “viral influence”: the idea that prevalent viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 can keep other pathogens such as the flu out of the public eye for a period of time.
McGee said the flu will affect different people in different ways, but may be more serious for people who are immunosuppressed or have respiratory conditions such as asthma.
However, he added, it can be difficult to differentiate influenza from COVID-19, as they share many common symptoms.
“The symptoms you may have with COVID-19 or the flu may be similar to those of fever, sore throat, muscle aches and pains, fatigue,” he said. “Then there are some people who have the disease with very mild symptoms and some people who have no symptoms at all.”
The number of flu vaccines given dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic, McGee said. Influenza vaccines are available at clinics throughout the province. (Emily Fitzpatrick / CBCNEWS)
If a person feels ill, McGee said, they will need to fill out the county COVID-19 online self-assessment form to see if they qualify for a PCR test to determine if the disease is COVID-19.
“If your symptoms can be treated at home, there is really no need to go to your emergency room or clinic to be evaluated for a viral illness that is likely to progress,” he said.
Influenza vaccines are also widely available in clinics across the county, McGee said, because the number of flu vaccines given decreased during the pandemic.
Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
