Public health measures put in place to protect against COVID also had a positive effect in keeping influenza at bay.
Now that many people are choosing not to wear masks or physically distance, public health officials are expecting the flu to make a comeback.
“Last year the flu season never technically started because we didn’t meet the threshold [in the number of cases,” said Dr. John Tuinema, associate medical officer of health for Algoma.
Measures put in place to combat COVID-19, including masking and physical distancing, had an impact on influenza transmission, he said.
“This year, without those same measures in place, it is very much expected we will have a regular flu season. The extent of how severe it’s going to be remains to be seen,” he said.
Last week, Ontario’s top doctor said there is concern a ‘triple threat’ of a bad flu season, COVID-19 and the resurgence of a childhood viral illness may be putting a strain on the health system.
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, said last week the government may make a recommendation on masking in certain indoor settings and even a possibility of reinstating mask mandates.
This year’s strain of influenza is especially virulent, he said.
"On a normal season we see 12,000 Canadians admitted to hospital ... that may be higher with (this strain),” said Moore.
People who are particularly vulnerable to respiratory viruses should definitely be masking now, Moore said.
Tuinema said he has noticed a slight increase in the number of people in the Sault choosing to wear masks once again in public.
“There seems to be a few more masks being worn than there would have been a few months ago, but I would say we are still not quite where we would want to be as far as being able to protect ourselves and others,” he said. ”Algoma Public Health continues to strongly recommend that people mask if they are going to be in enclosed spaces, crowded places or in close contact with many people.”
People can make the choice now to wear masks in certain situations, said Tuinema, possibly preventing the need for a government mandate to be imposed.
“They [the public] don’t need to wait for direction on that before starting to protect themselves, they can do that today,” he said.
Unlike early in the pandemic when mask supply was much more scarce, N-95 masks can now be found for sale in many retail shops.
”It’s much easier to get a hold of a medical-grade mask, if people are looking for that extra layer of protection, as well,” said Tuinema.
Moore also recommended Ontarians get the flu shot, available to people six months and older. It takes about 10 to 14 days for it to take full effect.
Flu shots are currently available at local pharmacies, health care providers and through Algoma Public Health.
“The more people who get the shot, the more we are able to help contain the flu and preserve our health care system,” said Tuinema.
Additional COVID-19 vaccines are also available for people living in Algoma.
Tuinema said not as many people as APH would like are choosing to get a booster dose.
“It’s the same messages — immunization is the best way to protect yourself and we now have COVID vaccines that are targeted toward the Omicron variant. If people haven’t gotten that yet and they are eligible, they certainly should,” said Tuinema. “We certainly would like to see more people have that, not just to protect themselves, but also to protect those around them.”
— with files from The Canadian Press
