The Lethbridge office of Alberta Health Services (Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

Influenza still an issue in the region, Medical Health Officer says

Jan 12, 2020 | 7:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – What’s unique about this year is that southern Alberta has three strains of influenza circling around the region.

That’s according to Dr. Vivien Suttorp, the Lead Medical Health Officer for Alberta Health Services’ South Zone. She says that if you’ve been sick with one type of the flu, you can still catch the others.

The three strains making the rounds are influenza B, which typically causes more complications for children. Influenza A H3N2 usually has more of an impact on seniors, can cause serious complications and even death in the elderly, according to Suttorp.

She said the third type is influenza A H1N1, which was the subject of the 2009 flu pandemic in Canada.

“That terrible disease we saw in 2009, it’s still here. It circulates every year and still has the same complications and severe disease, and we have certainly seen that this season,” said Suttorp.

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Although she recommends getting the flu vaccine, she explained that it doesn’t make you completely immune to becoming sick. The vaccine will serve as more of a protective shield and can lessen your chances of getting infected.

She added that the reason the flu vaccine is offered every year is because strains can change over time. She said anybody who is six months or older has access to a free flu shot (it’s not licensed for anyone under six months of age) and illness and complications are most severe in the very young (under five years old), people with chronic health conditions and the elder, people who are 65 and older.

She couldn’t pin down an exact number of people who have been vaccinated in the South Zone but noted it’s about “on par” with what AHS usually sees.

Additionally, she noted there has been one death within the South Zone that meets the criteria of passing due to influenza.

“For individuals who have [died] due to influenza, they have had to have [died] in a hospital and have had a lab report confirming influenza, so that does not include everybody who has had death due to or [from] complications of influenza,” she explained.

Suttorp said some simple steps to take to help avoid getting sick include frequent hand washing, staying home if you are ill and to remember cough etiquette. That means coughing into your elbow and washing your hands afterwards and of course, if possible, immunization.

INFLUENZA VS. STOMACH VIRUS

Suttorp said there are some key differences between influenza and a stomach virus, also known as a gastrointestinal virus.

“Influenza causes fevers, coughs, muscle aches and pains, exhaustion, headaches etcetera, and can lead to serious complications. Stomach virus, gastro-intestinal viruses such as the Norwalk viruses, we commonly call it Norovirus, causes vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, usually [within] 24 to 48 hours,” she said.

“Influenza, a respiratory illness, does not typically cause vomiting or diarrhea, with the exception of very young children – when they’re coughing, they may end up vomiting.”

Suttorp added that if someone in your household does have a gastrointestinal illness, it’s important to use appropriate cleaning agents and to clean the house frequently.

“[That’s] because it lasts on surfaces for a long time and it’s easy to spread.”

WHOOPING COUGH

In October of 2019, AHS declared an outbreak of whooping cough in the western part of the South Zone, which includes Lethbridge, Raymond and Lethbridge County.

READ MORE: Whooping cough outbreak declared in west part of AHS South Zone, including Lethbridge

Suttorp said the outbreak is still in effect, officially, but numbers of new confirmed cases have gone down in the region.

She also offered some advice to stay healthy in light of the colder weather expected in Alberta over the next few weeks.

She advised looking at the forecast before going outside, to layer up in clothing, protect extremities like toes and fingers, make sure you stay hydrated, not to leave children or pets in care, avoid touching could surfaces with bare skin and to avoid being outside in cold weather for a prolonged period of time.