Ontario hospitals warn of massive spike in ICU admissions for influenza

Ontario’s influenza cases are skyrocketing, according to the province’s hospitals, with a growing number of people admitted into intensive care.

The Ontario Hospital Association issued a statement Tuesday, warning of an alarming increase in cases, which have now hit a three-year high.

The group said last week, patients with flu were up 150 per cent, hospital admissions grew by 84 per cent, and the number of people in intensive care hit 127 per cent.

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, had previously issued a statement urging people to get vaccinated and maintain habits like hand washing.

Get weekly health news

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.

Sign up for weekly health newsletter Get Started

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

At the time, he said COVID-19 and RSV levels were low, but influenza was on course to peak as early as December.

The Ontario Hospital Association echoed the call.

“With flu cases expected to peak as early as mid-December in some regions and given that the vaccine takes about two weeks to reach full effectiveness, getting vaccinated now is crucial to ensure you are protected when virus circulation is at its highest,” its president, Anthony Dale, said in a statement.

Before MPPs headed off on a 14-week winter break, Global News asked Health Minister Sylvia Jones to stop and talk about the growing number of cases. She did not respond as she walked past.

Moore issued a statement but has not held any public health briefings. While he has not held a news conference for years, he was eventually made available for one-on-one interviews over a major measles outbreak in the spring.

The growing number of flu cases comes as the Eastern Ontario Health Unit confirmed three children — aged between five and nine — had died of influenza-related complications since the start of the month.

— with a file from Global News’ Aaron D’Andrea