Some Ontario Swine Flu patients have spent 95 days in hospital
Canada's minister of health, Leona Aglukkaq gets her H1N1 shot.
By Salim Jiwa
TORONTO – Some of the 1,541 seriously ill patients have spent more than three months in hospitals, the ministry of health reported in a weekly bulletin.
And Ontario also says the case volume for Swine Flu in the second wave was up to six times higher than the case load reached in the worst of the past five flu seasons going back all the way to 2004. The highest confirmed cases of flu in the past five flu seasons peaked at 500 cases in mid-February of 2005 for the 2004-2005 seasonal flu outbreak.
The peak of the second wave of Swine Flu reached some 2,150 confirmed cases during weak 43.
Of the 1,158 admitted to hospital between Sept. 1 and Nov. 25 – the second wave – 222 remained hospitalized when the report was compiled – and patients had a mean stay of four days but the range was between 0 to 94 days in hospital.
70 people died during the second wave which is not over yet and 25 died during the first wave which started in April, the report said.
Eight of those hospitalized in the first wave remain in hospital.
“Admission to ICU and/or use of a ventilator was reported for 21% (80) of wave one cases and 16% (186) of wave 2 cases; Overall, 17% (266) of hospitalizations have been admitted to ICU and/or placed on a ventilator. Fever, cough, shortness of breath, vomiting, malaise, myalgia and sore throat/difficulty swallowing have been the most commonly reported symptoms among hospitalized cases,” said the government report for the period ending Nov. 21 but updated to Nov. 25.
“Sixteen new deaths were reported from November 18 to November 25 compared to eighteen new deaths reported from November 12 to November 18,” said the report.
101 of those hospitalized in Ontario were babies under one year old. One infant died.
217 of those who were hospitalized were children aged 1 to 4 years. There were no deaths in this group.
302 children between the ages of five to 14 were hospitalized. Five died.
168 children and youths aged 15 to 24 were hospitalized. Seven died.
269 adults ranging in age from 25 to 44 were hospitalized with 16 deaths in this group.
343 people aged 45 to 64 were hospitalized, with 41 deaths in the age group.
141 people aged over 65 were hospitalized and they suffered the highest death rate with 25 dead.
The figure suggest a higher hospitalization rate for younger children but a higher fatality rate for older people.
Related articles:
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
Trackbacks and Pingbacks