Influenza cases climb in Saskatchewan as winter ends
By Ian MacKay
The end of winter brought a rise in influenza cases in Saskatchewan. Other viruses retreated or stood still.
“Hospitalizations have increased for influenza, Covid-19 continues to decline and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) hospitalizations remain stable,” the latest Health Department report on virus activity said.
“The most commonly detected virus by sentinel providers was human metapneumovirus (hMPV),” the report said. Its symptoms are similar to those of the common cold.
Four of the people who tested positive for influenza were from the department’s west-central zone. Lab staff also determined that two people in the region had RSV and one had the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
Nobody in the province died from either the flu or Covid-19 during the two weeks the report covered, nor in the two previous weeks, a chart showed.
A total of 141 Saskatchewan residents tested positive for influenza during March 15 to 21, up from 103 during March 8 to 14, an increase of about 35 from each of the two earlier weeks.
Only 32 residents tested positive for the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 during March 15 to 21, down from 52 a week earlier and from 71 during Feb. 22 to 28, while 124 tested positive for RSV that week, a drop of two from the previous week.
Hospitals admitted seven people with Covid-19 that week, after nine the week before. None of them needed intensive care.
Fifteen people with influenza were admitted to hospital, up from 11 the week before. One needed intensive care.
Two of the 33 people admitted with RSV needed intensive care during the most recent week, down from six of the 34 admitted during March 8 to 14.
Among the 30 residents considered sick with Covid-19 during March 15 to 21 were 15 people aged 65 and older, seven aged 20 to 64, five aged five to 19 and three aged four or younger.
The 133 people sick with influenza included 58 aged 20 to 64 and 57 aged five to 19, along with 12 toddlers and six seniors.
Toddlers, at 53 cases, made up the largest group of the 118 people with RSV, along with 38 seniors, 23 people aged 20 to 64 and four aged five to 19.