1,554 more hospitalized from Swine Flu – total 6,992
OTTAWA – A total of 6,992 Canadians have been hospitalized with severe Swine Flu illness since the start of the pandemic with 1,110 admitted to ICU and 501 requiring life-supporting ventilation, says the latest report on flu activity by the Public Health Agency of Canada.
With national indicators showing a country-wide cresting of the second wave, the number of deaths declined slightly during the week Nov. 15 to Nov. 21, PHAC said.
“However, the number of hospitalizations reported this week was again higher than the overall number of hospitalizations for the first wave. Since August 30, 2009, all the provinces and territories except SK, MB and NU have had cumulative crude hospitalization rates that surpass the respective cumulative hospitalization rates in the period before August 29, 2009,” said PHAC.
“The intensity of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in the population was still high with 1,554 hospitalizations, 243 ICU admissions and 61 deaths reported this week (Nov. 15 to Nov. 21.),” said the agency. Since that report Canada’s death toll has gone past 309.
”Slightly more men were hospitalized, admitted to ICU and died than women during the period from August 30 to November 21, 2009 compared to the first wave,” said the report which lags by one week.
“All age groups had higher hospitalization, ICU and mortality rates in the second wave than in the first wave. In particular, people over 45 years of age and children between 1 and 5 years of age had hospitalization rates in the second wave that were nearly five times higher than their respective hospitalization rates in the first wave,” said the government about how lethal the second wave of Swine Flu has been for Canadians.
“ Mortality rates among the people over 45 years of age and among children under 1 year of age were three times higher in the second wave as compared to their respective mortality rates in the first wave,” it said.
“ The under 20 year olds continued to have the highest hospitalization rates while those 45 years of age and older had the highest mortality rates per 100,000 population.
“Children under 1 year of age had the highest ICU admission rate (data not shown). Comparing the cumulative rates of hospitalization, ICU admissions and deaths between those with underlying medical conditions and those without during the period up to November 21, 2009, those with underlying medical conditions were almost 5 times more likely to be hospitalized, 7 times more likely to be admitted to ICU and 8.5 times more likely to die compared to those without underlying medical conditions.”
In relation to infant hospitalization and mortality, the government said: In week 46, 99 laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated paediatric hospitalizations were reported through the Immunization Monitoring Program Active (IMPACT) network.”
“ Of these, 22 were reported as Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and 77 were reported as unsubtyped influenza A. 1,250 hospitalizations had been reported since week 17 (April 26): 88.0% of these hospitalizations were officially due to Pandemic (H1N1) 2009. Since the beginning of the pandemic, six deaths due to Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 had been reported through the IMPACT network among children under 16 years of age.”
Several indicators suggest the second wave has crested but 30 more Canadians were reported dead in the last four days to take the national fatality toll to 309.
“While the number of hospitalized cases, ICU admissions and deaths reported this week decreased, the number of hospitalizations was higher than the overall number of hospitalizations for the first wave,” said the government.
Federal Minister of Health Leona Aglukkaq will received her H1N1 vaccine shot on Friday in Ottawa.
Health officials say people should not get complacent because there is still a lot of flu around and deaths and hospitalizations will continue unless vaccinations cover most of Canada’s population.
“I strongly encourage vaccination,” said B.C. Health Officer Dr. Perry Kendall. “H1N1 will be around for some years and there is a possibility of a third wave in the spring, we can avoid that with high levels of vaccination.”
Also, although we are on the down-slope of this wave, there is still a lot of influenza activity out there with of serious complications or at best a nasty seven-day flu,” he emphasized.
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