Data from the Alberta Health Service show that flu cases have risen across the county in recent weeks, with more than 200 cases reported in Calgary alone.
And those numbers may just be the tip of the iceberg, according to Dr. Eddie Lang, head of the Calgary Zone Emergency Medical Clinic with AHS.
“There are many, many more people out there who may have the flu,” Lang said.
“They just haven’t done a test.”
Land said health professionals testing for COVID were surprised to see the results return positive for the flu, given the prevalence of the COVID virus now in the province.
He said it was unusual to see so many flu cases this time of year, but not necessarily a surprise, now that travel has increased and people are in closer contact with each other.
“It is almost unbelievable that the last two winters have been virtually flu-free.”
The AHS has seen an increase in flu cases in recent weeks. (Rob Easton / CBC)
Craig Jenne, an associate professor of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary, said another possible reason for the recent rise in flu numbers is that not so many people have been vaccinated against the virus this season.
“We have to keep in mind that at least early in the flu season… vaccines were well below our normal vaccination rate in Alberta,” Jenne said.
“So if we have a lower level of protection, it may come as no surprise that the flu season is a little longer than usual.”
Jenne said that amid the need for multiple booster vaccines for COVID-19, people are likely to feel the effects of vaccination fatigue.
“I think what we are seeing is really the result of a few years of little to no flu that we might be a little disappointed with.”
Lang said that while this year’s bug does not seem particularly difficult to overcome, it is still something people need to be aware of, especially as the infection will cause some of the same symptoms as COVID. Jenne said it was important for Alberts to know that the flu was still a serious concern for some people.
“Before the pandemic, the flu or the flu was actually the leading cause of death in Canada from any infectious disease,” Jenne said.
“It’s something we’re used to. But he emphasizes that it still has the potential to have serious health consequences.”
Both Jenne and Lang said they expect the flu rate to drop in the coming weeks as people start spending more time outdoors.
