The flu could be coming faster and affecting more people in 2017.
Island Heath’s Chief Medical Officer Richard Stadwick has already seen a cruise ship with more than 100 people infected with the virus and after tracking countries in the southern hemisphere, what he has seen could mean 2017 could be a bad year for the flu.
“From what we have seen from our colleagues in Australia and New Zealand, they have had a bad year, people were sicker than usual. It’s likely the H3n2 strain that is causing the mischief,” he said. “It’s one of those circumstances if we do get a colder dryer winter people are also going to be more indoors this winter and likely in closer contact this year. Two reasons why we may see greater transmission and why people are sicker.”
For more information visit www.viha.ca/flu/
