another reason this flu season could be a tough one is that in many parts of the world, people are more social than they were at the same time last year. between in-person school and work, and the socializing many vaccinated people are enjoying, “we do expect there might be a lot more flu cases compared to last year,” dr. denise francisco
told abc news
.
for that reason, the concern about straining hospitals resources is, once again, a big consideration. the fourth wave of covid-19 is in full swing across the country,
particularly in the western provinces
. in alberta, for instance, healthcare workers are already warning of an impending collapse.
“this is much, much worse than i think people understand,” edmonton emergency physician dr. shazma mithani
previously told postmedia
. “we, as health-care workers, are telling you that things are very dire, that icu beds are running out, that we are stretched very thin in terms of our hospital capacity.”
so once again, it will be a good idea for everyone over six months old to
get a flu shot
once they’re available. the flu kills an average of 3,500 canadians every year, while 12,000 are hospitalized.
according to health canada
, the people at highest risk of complications from the flu are the elderly, young kids, people who live in long-term care, people who are pregnant or plan to get pregnant soon, and people with health conditions including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, lung disease, neurological conditions, obesity or anemia.