Severe influenza cases on the rise in Manitoba

Manitoba's ongoing battle against spiking influenza cases has been dealt a blow with yet another increase in the numbers and more children being admitted to hospital.

The influenza A positivity rate is 15.6 per cent for the week of Nov. 13-19, according to the province's latest weekly surveillance report. That's more than double the previous week's rate of 7.4 per cent.

Even with the increase, the rate is lower than the national rate of 19.2 per cent.

An average of 160 specimens were tested each day during the reporting week, compared with 116 for the previous week.

In Manitoba, there were a total of 154 new flu cases for the most recent surveillance week.

Fourteen people were hospitalized due to severe cases in the most recent week, with fewer than five of those needed to be admitted to intensive care. The numbers from the previous week were 10 and zero, respectively.

As well, about 40 per cent admitted to hospital are under the age of 18. That's up from about a third the previous week.

Broken down further, the data shows children below the age of five accounted for 15 per cent of all influenza cases and 20 per cent of the hospitalizations. That's a two per cent increase in the general cases and the same percentage in hospitalizations from the week before.

Other respiratory illnesses, like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection are also increasing, but not at the same pace as influenza. 

RSV test positivity in Manitoba was 5.6 per cent from Nov. 13-19 and 5.5 per cent in the previous week.

COVID-19 hospitalizations drop

While flu cases are surging, the COVID-19 situation is improving in Manitoba.

Hospitalizations due to the virus dropped by 29 in the most recent surveillance week (82) compared with the week before (111).

Of the 82 people admitted to hospital, 12 were sent to intensive care units. There were 11 ICU admissions the week prior.

The number of deaths increased by 16 between the two weeks.

Although an average of 388 specimens were tested daily between Nov. 13-19, compared with 350 the week before, the number of those coming back positive is falling.

The most recent weekly positivity rate is 18.2 per cent, down from 24.5 per cent the week before.

Laboratory detections are substantively lower compared with the same time period in the previous two years, according to the provincial report.