Nova Scotia’s chief doctor urges holiday caution as province hits peak flu season

HALIFAX –

Flu season is in full swing earlier than usual across Nova Scotia this year, and the province’s chief medical officer of health is urging the public to exercise caution during the holidays.

Dr. Robert Strang said Friday that he recommends people wear masks in crowded public spaces and when they are sick, given the pressures facing the province’s medical system.

Flu season, he added, usually lasts eight to 10 weeks, with the middle of the season hitting in January or February. But the likely peak of the season is already upon us, Strang said.

“Our health-care system is under significant strain so it’s a plea to Nova Scotians,” Strang told reporters. “We all need to do what we can do to take preventive steps.”

Influenza cases and other illnesses such as respiratory syncytial virus are contributing to overcrowded emergency rooms and full capacity at hospitals, he said. Even a small number of virus-related hospitalizations puts strain on an already stressed hospital system, Strang added.

“We are dealing with a surge of people and most of them will not end up in hospital, but they are looking for some kind of health care and often right now they end up in the emergency department,” he said.

To guard against even more illness, Strang said anyone who is sick should avoid social gatherings, and he urged people who haven’t received a flu shot yet to get one.

He said that starting next week, children who are six months to four years old will be able to get a COVID-19 shot at the same time as other vaccines such as a flu shot. Previously, it was advised to have the shots spaced out by two weeks.

The province said Thursday there were 686 new cases reported of influenza A last week and 100 people were admitted to hospital because of the virus, including eight to intensive care.

To date, there have been 2,354 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A and one laboratory-confirmed case of influenza B reported this season. Five deaths attributed to influenza A were reported last week, bringing the number of seasonal deaths to 25.

Strang said influenza in Canada normally moves from west to east; Nova Scotia is a few weeks behind other parts of the country in hitting its peak time for the virus.

“The hope is that maybe we are halfway through (the season), but regardless of where we are, we know we are going to have a lot of influenza activity circulating in the next few weeks when there is peak social activity,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 16, 2022.