Nova Scotia reports 686 new cases of influenza in latest report

Cases of influenza continue to rise in Nova Scotia.

According to the province's Respiratory Watch Report covering the period between Dec. 4 and Dec. 10, there were 686 new cases of influenza A, with 100 hospitalizations and eight admissions to the intensive care unit.

These numbers are slightly higher than the previous reporting period between Nov. 27 and Dec. 3, when the province reported 673 cases of influenza A, with 94 hospitalizations and nine intensive care admissions.

To date for the 2022-23 fluseason, there have been 2,355laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza.

There have also been 340 hospitalizations, with 25ICU admissions and 25 deaths.

The deaths include people who tested positive for influenza, but influenza may not have been a major contributing cause of death or hospitalization.

'Don't go out when you're sick'

There is a discrepancy in the number of deaths reported by the province. Last week, 15 deaths were reported for the whole season.That total has since risen to 25, though only eight new deaths havebeen reported between periods. The province has said the discrepancyis due to a lag in reporting.

Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, is expected to providean update on all respiratory viruses on Friday.

Dr. Andrew Lynk, chief of pediatrics atthe IWK Health Centre, saidthe children's hospital isbusy dealing with cases of flu and respiratory viruses.

Lynk said it's important to keep children home when they're sick, especially the first few days when they're most infectious.

"Just take your precautions," he said."Get your flu shots, put your little infants and young toddlers in a bubble if you can, and don't go out and around when you're sick."