B.C. turns the corner on influenza epidemic

Officials in B.C. say influenza infections across the province are starting to ebb after months of coughing, wheezing and achesfor many people.

In its mid-season influenza surveillancereport, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control says the number of people coming down with the virus hasfallen to more normal ratesafter being above the 10-year average for the past three weeks.

"All signs seem to point to us having turned the corner on the current epidemic peak," saidDr.DanutaSkowronskiwith the BCCDC.

The good news comes in contrast to the U.S. where numbers from government reports on Friday show that one of every 14 visits to doctors and clinics were for fever,cough and other symptoms of the flu.

In the U.S. that's the highest level sincethe swine flu pandemic in 2009. Last week, 42 states reported highpatient traffic for the flu, up from 39.

Deaths related tothe virus are being counted in the thousands while there have been 120 deaths associated with influenza in Canada according tothe latest numbersfrom the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Officials in the U.S. say they expect infectionsto climb for weeks to come.

Flu shot a miss

So how did B.C. dodge a bullet so far?

• Most people will recover without intervention

It would be nice to say that people in B.C. do a better job at washing their hands, coughing into their elbows and getting the flu shot than our neighbours in the U.S.

But that's simply not the case, according to Skowronski.

First of all, this season's flu shot was a bit of miss. TheBCCDCsays it's lessthan 20-per-cent effective against this year's strains.

• Flu shot less than 20% effective for most common strain this season, scientists find

Compared to the U.S. she says B.C. has had fewer cases of H3N2 a strain of influenza A which is particularly hard on elderly patients or those with weakened immune systems.

Influenza B, a different strain of fluwhich can be less severe, has been dominant in B.C., Skowronski said, although H3N2 is also circulating in the province.

Overall in the U.S., Skowronskisays 80 per cent of samples tested have come back positive as H3N2.

"So they're having a different experience," she said about the U.S.

Immunity from last season?

Another factor may be that more people in B.C have immunity to H3N2, since it was widespread in the region duringthe 2016-2017 flu season.

"That likely altered our population immunity and may have mitigated, reduced the impact of that H3N2 virus this season in Canada," said Skrowronski.

Meanwhile Skowronski says people here should continue with good hand washing hygiene, while those in vulnerable groups should seek medical attention if they contract the flu.

With files from the Associated Press.