The flu has killed 15 people in the province since last September, Manitoba Health’s latest numbers show — five more deaths since last week’s influenza update.
One-hundred-and-thirty-eight people tested positive for influenza over the week of Jan. 26 to Feb. 1, the latest report says. That’s equivalent to 32 per cent of all respiratory patients tested in the same time period.
Positive diagnoses are down from the previous week, when 152 people tested positive for the flu.
The number of respiratory visits to emergency departments has continued to decrease since the last week of 2019, but influenza activity — outbreaks, diagnoses and hospital visits — is high compared to previous flu seasons, the province says.
About 181 people a day visited emergency departments for respiratory issues over the past week.
The flu has hit younger people particularly hard this season, the province says — almost all influenza B cases and three quarters of influenza A cases were in people younger than 65. Provincial laboratories have confirmed 522 influenza A cases and 590 influenza B cases since September.
The number of people vaccinated for the flu increased slightly to 24.8 per cent in the most recent report, up from 24.4 per cent the previous week.
The province notes any events or numbers missed in the latest report will be added to future influenza updates.
Comments