Flu cases ramping up in Nanaimo, including at long-term health facilities
NANAIMO — Coughing, sniffling, sneezing, and a runny nose — sure signs the flu has arrived.
Even though we’ve technically been in flu season for a while, the number of cases has ramped up lately, according to Island Health. Mid-island medical health officer Dr. Paul Hasselback says it seems to be making its way up the island.
“We’ve certainly seen a surge in influenza activity in the last one to two weeks,” said Hasselback. “It’s running as a wave from the south headed north and has certainly hit the Nanaimo area hard in the last week or so.”
Hasselback says the dominant strain is called H3N2, which is covered in the current vaccine being provided.
Even so, Hasselback says there has been a spike which has been noticed at hospitals and other medical facilities.
“We have outbreaks that are occurring in long-term care settings. They are being managed at this point in time. I do not have information in terms of the surge at our emergency departments, that information will take us about another week to get,” said Hasselback.