Will the flu make a comeback this season?
The flu was almost a non issue a year ago, but one infectious disease doctor believes it may have been an anomaly.
“People were wearing masks, people were staying home, probably the best hand hygiene we’ve ever seen in Canada ever,” says Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist.
During the 2020-2021 flu season, the Public Health Agency of Canada reported 79 lab confirmed cases of influenza, compared to 54,000 the previous year.
“The flu is a very serious viral infection. It kills about 3,500 Canadians in a typical year.”
Bogoch believes flu cases will rise from a year ago.
“We are going back to work though, kids are back in school. There are more options for viruses to be transmitted but there are public health measures in place as well.”
Bogoch tells CTV News the best way to defend yourself against influenza is by getting the flu shot.
“Flu shots are good, of course they’re not perfect. It’s a very significant layer of protection that reduces the risk of getting influenza.”
The flu shot is typically available by mid October and residents should still get it even if they’ve received a COVID-19 vaccine.
“People have receive other vaccinations this year in addition to their COVID-19 vaccine all sorts of vaccines,” says Bogoch.
According to one local pharmacist, symptoms of the flu and COVID-19 are similar and residents should speak to a health provider.
“You’re gonna wanna look for fever, cough would be the biggest ones and just feeling under the weather,” says Sebastiano Di Pietro.
“One of the biggest myths about the flu vaccine that if I’m young and healthy, I don’t need to get it. It’s important for everyone to get the vaccine."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.