Health officials are warning of a severe flu season after new U.S. data showed a sharp spike in infections over the holiday period, a trend experts say could soon be reflected in Canada. According to Global News, nearly one in three flu tests in the United States came back positive in late December, driven largely by the fast spreading H3N2 strain of influenza A.
Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that 32.9 per cent of influenza tests were positive for the week ending Dec. 27, up significantly from 25.6 per cent the previous week. Just a month earlier, the positivity rate stood at 7.1 per cent. The CDC said influenza A(H3N2) was the most commonly detected strain during this period, signalling an intense holiday surge.
Hospitalizations in the United States also climbed sharply. The CDC reported a flu hospitalization rate of 31.3 per 100,000 people, compared with 22.9 the week before. More than 33,000 Americans were hospitalized with influenza during that week, up from just over 19,000 the previous week. Influenza was linked to nearly one per cent of all reported U.S. deaths during that period, including the death of a child.
Canadian experts say the U.S. numbers may offer a preview of what lies ahead domestically. Dr. Fahad Razak, an internal medicine physician at St. Michael’s Hospital and professor at the University of Toronto, told Global News that multiple international indicators suggest Canada is also experiencing one of its worst flu seasons in years. He pointed to similar patterns seen earlier in Europe, Australia, and Japan as warning signs.
Health Canada’s most recent data already suggests rising pressure on the health system. For the week ending Dec. 13, Canada recorded 11,646 new flu cases, with 27.7 per cent of all tests returning positive. Hospitalization rates nearly doubled from the previous reporting period, with infections rising close to 30 per cent. Federal officials are expected to release updated national flu data later this week as hospitals urge Canadians to monitor symptoms closely and seek medical care when necessary.
