Influenza in Alberta: Edmontonian aged 10-19 dies of flu
One more Albertan died from influenza this week according to the latest data, while newly reported cases remained low with 42.
The death brings this flu season's death toll to 116.
In-hospital deaths as well as deaths in community settings reported by first responders are included in that number, while data for seasons prior to 2021-2022 only include hospital deaths.
The person who died this week was an Edmontonian between the ages of 10 and 19.
HOSPITALIZATIONS
This influenza season, 2,036 Albertans have required hospital care. There were nine 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 760, followed by the Edmonton zone’s 576.
Of the nine new admissions between Feb. 19 and Feb. 25, 44 per cent were 39 or younger. Two of the admissions were children between the ages of one and four.
To date, 210 people have required intensive care. No new patients were admitted in this update.
The majority of ICU patients this season have also been in the Calgary zone.
CASES
Alberta reported 42 new infections on Thursday, a slight decrease from the week prior. New case numbers have stayed below 100 for seven consecutive weeks.
According to Alberta Health data, this season has the second-highest number of cases in 14 seasons, with 8,895 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 2,987 so far.
The Edmonton zone has the second-highest number of cases in Alberta, with 2,581.
The Central zone has had 1,059 cases; the North zone has reported 1,581 cases, while the South zone has counted 681. Six cases have not been assigned a zone.
Influenza A has made up 98.6 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 were no new outbreaks 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 64,541 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 28.5 per cent of children between six months and four years have their vaccine.
Alberta updates its influenza data on Thursdays.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.