‘It’s unprecedented’: no ​​flu cases detected in Saskatchewan this season

As cases of COVID-19 continue to climb across the country, cases of another infectious disease are proving difficult to find.

The flu numbers are extremely low in most parts of Canada this flu season, and in Saskatchewan they are non-existent.

“It’s amazing, I mean it’s really unprecedented,” said Andrew Cameron, associate professor of biology at the University of Regina.

“It’s a very good news note that I think we all need.”

According to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health, no influenza cases have been confirmed in the province since the start of the 2020-2021 influenza season.

Ministry data shows that about a year ago, as of January 18, 2020, 1,154 influenza cases and 10 resulting deaths had been confirmed.

This year’s trend comes despite the ministry estimating flu shots through December 31, 2020 to be actually down from the same time period in 2019.

Cameron said that with the pandemic already pushing health systems to full capacity, the value of a calm flu season cannot be overstated.

“Immunization rates are generally around 30%. We don’t appreciate how big the impact of the flu is. It causes significant mortality and burden on health care every year. And it mainly affects the elderly, ”he said.

As to why the flu hasn’t made a name for itself this season, health experts say we can thank the measures put in place to prevent the spread of the more contagious and deadly coronavirus.

“If your car is weatherproof to be good at -40, you know it will be good at -20,” said University of Saskatchewan biomedicine professor Kyle Andersen.

Andersen said the flu was migrating between hemispheres as a result of cooler weather, and travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic likely also helped prevent the spread of influenza viruses.

“There was less flu to start with in countries like Asia, South America and Australia because they did the same things we have for COVID-19,” he said .

Andersen believes that as long as stringent health measures remain in place, the trend of low flu counts could continue into the next flu season.

“The flu is always kind of reintroduced by bird and pig populations and things like that. So we can never really get rid of it, ”he said. “But reducing the total number of people with influenza on Earth – it will have a long-term effect.”

Cameron and Andersen suggest that good physical distancing and hygiene protocols will always be essential to ensure that influenza and COVD-19 do not overwhelm Saskatchewan’s health care system until 2021 and beyond.

“I think we’re going to get to a point where we’re going to remove the restrictions and get back to it, politically speaking, as usual. But hopefully we can say things like “you know what, take a sick day”. Taking sick days is important because it’s not only good for you, but it’s good for others. Or, [in the case of] disease, people may be more willing to wear a mask when going out in public.

Cameron added that even with a significant portion of the population vaccinated against COVID-19, the combination of the new disease and the seasonal flu could still overwhelm healthcare resources in the worst case scenario.

“The flu could come back with a vengeance. Next year could be terrible, ”Cameron said. “It could be that we get what we feared to happen this year – that we have the double whammy.”