Flu cases continue to decline in Canada after an early and significant spike several weeks ago in the virus that flooded children’s hospitals across the country and prompted the declaration of a flu epidemic.
Flu rates fell 38 percent in the first week of 2023, according to federal data released Friday.
This is the second week in a row that flu cases have “declined sharply” since a spike in mid-November 2022 that saw the percentage of positive flu cases in Canada rise to 16 per cent, more than twice the seasonal threshold of 5.0 percent.
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Influenza rates are now below pre-pandemic levels, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said in its latest FluWatch report.
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“All watch indicators are declining and almost all indicators are within expected levels typical for this time of year.”
During the week of January 1-7, a total of 1,749 laboratory detections of influenza were reported to PHAC. Most of these cases, 77%, were caused by a strain of the influenza A virus known as H3N2. The remaining 23% were the strain of influenza A known as H1N1.
Both strains are included in this year’s flu vaccine, which also includes two isolates of the influenza B virus.
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The number of children requiring hospitalization for the flu has also decreased significantly following a surge in childhood flu across Canada that peaked in late November.
The number of children hospitalized for the flu dropped 38 percent in the first week of January compared to the previous week. The IMPACT network of 12 pediatric hospitals in Canada reported only 30 flu-related hospitalizations in the week ending Jan. 7.
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This represents a significant decline from the last week of November, when children’s hospitals across Canada reported a record number of patients due to an increase in cases of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a phenomenon that causing long emergency waiting times for families.
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Ottawa’s CHEO was hit so hard by an increase in patients, the Canadian Red Cross volunteered to support hospital staff.
Hospitalizations of children for the flu are down 88% since the end of November, according to the latest data from FluWatch.
Figures show a higher proportion of older people are now infected with the flu.
Almost half of all flu detections in early January were in Canadians aged 65 and over, up 40% from the previous week.
More older people are also being hospitalized compared to children under five, suggesting the flu is returning to pre-pandemic seasonal patterns, according to PHAC data.
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Meanwhile, the positivity of the COVID-19 test decreased slightly last week to 15.1% nationwide compared to 15.6% in the last week of December 222, while the RSV remains seasonal trends nationally, according to PHAC’s latest weekly respiratory virus report.
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“Compared to pre-pandemic seasons, RSV activity is (at) close to average levels typical for this time of year,” the agency said in its report.
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