Influenza numbers continue to rise quickly across the province

By Medicine Hat News on November 24, 2022.

New statistics from Alberta Health confirm health-care professionals’ warnings that influenza is spreading rapidly across the province.

Alberta’s lab-confirmed influenza cases have more than doubled between the Nov. 5 and Nov. 12 updates, jumping from 891 lab-confirmed cases to 2,082.

Influenza A continues to comprise the majority of cases – over 99 per cent – with remaining cases classified as Influenza B.

Infants under one year old continue to be the age group most affected; followed by children ages five to nine, children ages one to four and individuals aged 90-plus.

As well as an increase of lab-confirmed cases, hospitalizations have also risen. On Nov. 5, 146 Albertans were hospitalized with influenza, with 13 in ICU. As of Nov. 12, the number of hospitalizations stood at 355, with 34 in ICU.

So far this season, six Albertans have died from influenza, one of which was a South zone resident.

While the South zone continues to report the lowest number of lab-confirmed influenza cases (61 as of Nov. 12), numbers are rising. South zone hospitalizations increased from eight on Nov. 5 to 14 on Nov. 12. The number of South zone patients in ICU remains at one.

With the rise in cases comes an increase in the number of influenza immunizations. As of Nov. 5, 675,414 Albertans had received a flu shot this season – approximately 15.2 per cent of the population. As of Nov. 12, that number sits at 781,868 – approximately 17.6 per cent of the population.

As of Nov. 12, the South zone is reporting the lowest number of influenza immunizations in the province (312,255), however has the immunization rate most comparable to the provincial average (16.3 per cent).

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