As Quebecers consider weekend holiday gatherings, COVID-19 and flu could spoil the party
CBC
Just as Quebecers prepare to gather for Easter or Passover, the province is dealing with the double whammy of rising COVID-19 infections and an unseasonal wave of influenza, the interim public health director said Wednesday.
Dr. Luc Boileau told reporters that flu season has started in the province, making it difficult for people to tell whether they have contracted the coronavirus or influenza, given the fact that symptoms can be common to both.
"It's unusual to have a flu season that begins in April," he said sitting alongside Daniel Paré, the man overseeing the province's COVID-19 vaccination campaign, and Dr. Jean Longtin, a microbiologist with the province's Health Ministry.
"It's already present in the community, it's also present in our hospitals and they're already feeling its effects."
In any event, Quebecers with flu or COVID-19 symptoms should self-isolate and especially stay away from people who are more likely to be vulnerable to both illnesses, Boileau said.
The beginning of the flu season is coinciding with a sharp increase in the number of hospitalizations in the province related to COVID-19.
On Wednesday, the province reported a total of 2,060 coronavirus patients in hospital — the first time hospitalizations have surpassed 2,000 since mid-February.
With a long holiday weekend approaching, many Quebecers are likely considering large get-togethers.
Health officials say they will not impose limits on gatherings as they did last year, but Boileau encouraged Quebecers "manage their risk."
"We're really in the process of [developing] a habit that we can use to make sure we can manage our own situations."
Longtin said the spread of influenza began in Europe several weeks ago, and it's posing a challenge for health-care workers there, even if people who are sick are less likely to require hospitalization.
"Influenza in Europe is generating lots of medical consultations, that somewhat clog up a [health-care] system that is already fragile."
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