With flu cases in B.C. reaching a 10-year high, some groups are taking measures to make sure it doesn’t spread quickly within their ranks.
READ MORE: Flu cases in B.C. reaching a 10-year high
“For this weekend in our mini-program, we’ve asked our kids to refrain from shaking hands,” says Ryan Galovich, General Manager of the North Delta Soccer Club. “They still want to congratulate each other after the game, so we’re going to ask them to do elbow bumps or something along those lines.”
It’s similar to measures taken in 2009 during the H1N1 outbreak. Researchers in Wales have discovered that the amount of bugs passed on in a handshake is 20 times larger than a fist-bump.
“It’s our small way of trying to deter the spread of the flu,” says Galovich. “We’ve got a lot of kids with the flu right now, including myself.”
Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Perry Kendall says that since the H3N2 virus mutated, the vaccine is not as effective against that strain.
For information on where to get a flu shot and who is eligible, CLICK HERE.
– With files from Amy Judd and Asa Rehman
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