Influenza in Alberta: 3 deaths reported, cases remain low
Three more Albertans died from influenza in one week, according to health officials' latest data, while newly reported cases remained low, with fewer than 50.
The three people who died were adults. One senior was aged 80-89, while the other two people were aged 60-69.
The Edmonton zone, the Central zone, and the South zone each reported one death.
There have been 115 influenza deaths this season.
HOSPITALIZATIONS
This influenza season, 2,027 Albertans have required hospital care. There were seven new admissions in the latest update.
This season has the second-highest number of hospitalizations in 14 seasons so far.
The Calgary zone has had the most patients requiring hospital care, with 758, followed by the Edmonton zone’s 571.
Of the seven new admissions between Feb. 12 and Feb. 18, 57 percent were 40 or younger. One admission was a child under the age of one.
To date, 210 people have required intensive care. One person between the ages of 60-69 was admitted in this update.
The majority of ICU patients this season have also been in the Calgary zone.
CASES
Alberta reported 43 new infections on Thursday, a slight decrease from the week prior. New case numbers have stayed below 100 for six consecutive weeks.
According to Alberta Health data, this season has the second-highest number of cases in 14 seasons, with 8,853 infections so far. The 2017-18 flu season had the highest number of cases, with 9,115.
The Calgary zone has had the highest number of influenza cases in the province, totalling 2,971 so far.
The Edmonton zone has the second-highest number of cases in Alberta, with 2,564.
The Central zone has had 1,057 cases; the North zone has reported 1,576 cases, while the South zone has counted 679. Six cases have not been assigned a zone.
Influenza A has made up 98.8 per cent of this season’s laboratory-confirmed cases.
OUTBREAKS AND VACCINATIONS
There have been a total of 98 outbreaks in Alberta this season. Fifty-five per cent have been at supportive living and home living sites. There was one new outbreak in this update.
More than 1.3 million influenza vaccines have been administered since Oct. 17, translating to 27.5 per cent of Albertans being immunized. There are also 64,306 more people vaccinated compared to this time last year.
Of Albertans aged 65 or older, 63.7 per cent have been vaccinated for influenza, while 28.2 per cent of children between six months and four years have their vaccine.
Alberta updates its influenza data on Thursdays.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot in assassination attempt, shocking Europe before elections
Slovakia's populist prime minister, Robert Fico, was shot multiple times and gravely wounded Wednesday after a political event in an attempted assassination that shocked the small country and reverberated across Europe.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
BREAKING Ontario's 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge slammed into a bridge pillar in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a smaller and separate island that is home to a university, officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION If you think you can’t focus for long, you’re right: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.