Alberta reports 4 new influenza deaths, surpasses last seasons total
Four more Albertans have died from influenza, according to the latest data update from health officials bringing the total so far this season to 16. The 2021-22 flu season had a total of 14 deaths.
On Thursday, Alberta Health released data showing the deaths include an adult between the ages of 30-39 and three seniors.
Of the seniors, two were between the ages of 70-79, while the third was between 80-89 years of age.
Two of the deaths were in the Edmonton zone, while the Calgary and South zones both reported one.
Along with the deaths are increases in influenza cases, hospitalizations and ICU admissions.
Alberta added more than 1,500 cases marking a 42 per cent increase in one week. That brings the provincial total to 5,163 so far this season.
That number of cases is higher than the total number reported during the whole 2021-22 season, which had a total of 2,906.
Up until this week’s update, Edmonton zone was reporting the highest number of influenza cases in the province, but Calgary zone now has the most infections with a total of 1,825 so far this season.
Of those, 582 cases are new, making up 32 per cent of Calgary’s total cases.
The Edmonton zone now has the second-highest number of cases in Alberta, with 1,743. Of those, 364 are new.
The Central zone has 517 cases, the North zone reported 852 cases, while the South zone has 217. Nine cases have not been assigned a zone.
This influenza season 818 Albertans have required hospital care surpassing last flu season's total. Two hundred sixty-eight hospitalizations, or 33 per cent of this season's total, have been between Nov. 20-26.
The Calgary zone has had the most patients requiring hospital care this season with 320, followed by the Edmonton zone’s 281.
Seniors are requiring hospital care the most, including those 70-79 years of age (143 hospitalizations), followed by 60-69 years old age (132 hospitalizations).
Seventeen per cent of the hospitalizations this season have been children ages four or under.
To date, 80 people have required intensive care, an increase of 28. The majority of ICU patients have been in the Calgary zone.
Most of the admissions have been those 60-69 years of age (14 admissions) closely followed by seniors between the ages of 70-79 (12 admissions), and children aged 1-4 (12 admissions).
There have been a total of 54 outbreaks in Alberta so far this season, an increase of 20 since the last update. Majority of outbreaks are for Influenza A and COVID-19 combined at supportive living and home living sites.
The number of influenza vaccines administered since Oct. 17 has now surpassed the one-million mark. That translates to 22.5 per cent of Albertans being immunized but still 16,000 fewer people vaccinated compared to this time last year.
Sixty per cent of Albertans 65 years of age and older have been administered this year's vaccine.
Alberta will update its data next Thursday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
opinion RFK Jr.'s presidential candidacy and its potential threat to Biden and Trump
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.
Yemen's Houthi rebels claim downing U.S. Reaper drone, release footage showing wreckage of aircraft
Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saturday claimed shooting down another of the U.S. military's MQ-9 Reaper drones, airing footage of parts that corresponded to known pieces of the unmanned aircraft.
Haida elder suing Catholic Church and priest, hopes for 'healing and reconciliation'
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.