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
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Here's how much more Canadian landlords are asking for now, according to a just-released report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
What is basic income, and how would it impact me?
Parliamentarians are considering a pair of bills aiming to lift people out of poverty through a basic income program, but some fear these types of systems could result in more taxes for Canadians who are already financially struggling.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Out-of-control wildfire burning near Fort McMurray
As of 9 a.m. on Friday, the wildfire burning 28 kilometres southwest of the northeastern Alberta city was 25 hectares in size.
Mexico's president accuses press and volunteer searchers for missing people of 'necrophilia'
The administration of Mexico's president has accused the press and volunteer searchers who look for the bodies of missing people of 'necrophilia,' comments that drew criticism this week.