Flu infections are increasing in Canada – an unusual trend for this time of year when cases typically are in decline.
Since the beginning of April, detections of influenza have “sharply increased,” the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said in its latest FluWatch report published April 22.
The report, which documented flu activity between March 13 and April 16, shows all indicators of influenza activity have risen in recent weeks — a time of the year when, historically, average flu cases are declining in the country.
About 1,287 laboratory detections were reported, and a majority of cases with detailed age information were in Canadians under 45 years of age.
“Detections of influenza have sharply increased, from an average of 40 detections a week in March, to 492 detections in the most recent reporting week,” the report reads.
“The threshold for calling the start of a seasonal epidemic in Canada is a five per cent positivity rate. With increasing influenza activity, Canada may reach this threshold in the coming weeks and signal the start of a seasonal influenza epidemic.”
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Typically, Canada reaches the start of flu season anywhere from late October to early January, a PHAC spokesperson told Global News. Right now, the positivity rate for influenza is 6.8 per cent, which is within previously seen historical levels at this time of year, they added.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, the flu was virtually non-existent in Canada due to protective measures put in place to limit the spread of the novel pathogen.
PHAC recorded 69 influenza detections in the 2020-21 flu season. Normally, around 52,000 cases are detected each year.
So far this reporting season, which PHAC indicates as starting on Aug. 29, 2021, Canada has logged 1,842 influenza cases as of April 16. On average, the country sees 43,627 cases recorded by this time of year.
To date this season, Canada has seen 12 laboratory-confirmed flu outbreaks; six were in long-term care facilities, five in facilities categorized as “other” and one in an acute care facility. “Other” facilities can include locations like private personal care homes, correctional facilities, and colleges/universities, the government said.
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There are many potential reasons why flu cases are increasing, PHAC said, and one of them may be related to COVID-19.
“One reason for the increase in cases may be due to the lifting of public health restrictions that were in place for the past two years in Canada and globally,” the spokesperson said.
“This late-season increase in cases is not unique to Canada; since early March, influenza activity has increased in both the United States and parts of Europe.”
When the highly transmissible Omicron COVID-19 variant emerged in late November, Canadians across the country saw a reintroduction of protective measures imposed to curb the spread.
But earlier this year, several jurisdictions unveiled plans to lift those measures depending on how their situations improved, and have acted on them since.
Those restrictions like mask mandates — while imposed to limit COVID-19 activity — controlled the spread of viruses like influenza, said Dr. Susy Hota, an infectious diseases specialist with the University Health Network in Toronto.
“It’s probably why if you ask anecdotally, a large sample of people would say, ‘Yes, it’s been great the last two years. I haven’t had other viruses that I normally would get during the year,’” she said.
“These measures are not specific to one type of pathogen. They would work for other things as well.”
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It’s unclear if influenza infections will continue to rise, PHAC said. The flu typically persists above the seasonal threshold until late May, but it is “notoriously hard to predict,” the spokesperson added. The next FluWatch report is scheduled for May 27.
What is clear however is that Canadians will likely experience a summer season with loosened COVID-19 restrictions, and that may spell trouble come fall, said Dr. Gerald Evans, an infectious disease specialist at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont.
If this coming fall and winter are mostly restriction-free, Canadians could likely see the flu and COVID-19 circulate together, he added.
“This coming winter is going to be incredibly important for us to determine what the future is going to look like with these two viruses circulating around,” Evans said.
“Wear a mask if you are concerned about infections, particularly if you carry personal risk or you live or hang around with people who may be at considerable risk.
“Obviously, when it’s not mandated, it depends on personal preferences, so my message would be really give it some serious thought: wearing a mask is not that onerous, particularly during the winter.”
Canadians should also keep up-to-date with vaccinations, Hota said.
“Whatever we can do to reduce the number of people who are really negatively affected by any of these viruses … the better it’s going to be for all of us to get through the fall and the respiratory virus season, and make sure that hospitals don’t get overwhelmed and we’re not back at that place again,” she said.
EDMONTON – Ontario country artist Jade Eagleson has won album of the year at the 2024 Canadian Country Music Association Awards in Edmonton.
The singer from Bailieboro, Ont., was up for six awards alongside Alberta’s MacKenzie Porter.
Eagleson took home album of the year for “Do It Anyway” and says he’s thankful to his wife and management team for helping him reach the level he’s at.
The James Barker Band from Woodville, Ont., also won fans’ choice and group of the year at the award show, held in Edmonton.
During their acceptance speech, frontman Barker hinted at new music and a possible tour in 2025.
Another Ontario crooner, Josh Ross, has taken home a trio of awards, receiving entertainer of the year, male artist of the year and single of the year.
He says he and his band play roughly 150 shows every year and are never home, but says taking home entertainer of the year makes the hard work worth it.
Porter took home female artist of the year, ending the five-year streak of Tenille Townes being awarded the coveted hardware.
Porter had been nominated seven times previously for the award in the past decade but hadn’t won until tonight.
The artist from Medicine Hat, Alta., says it takes a lot of hard work and hustle to succeed as a female in the country music industry and gave a shout out to her fellow singers and her newborn daughter.
Joining the two artists in the winners’ circle was Ontario singer-songwriter Owen Riegling, who won for breakthrough artist of the year.
The show began with American artist and co-host Thomas Rhett being dubbed an honorary Canadian by Edmonton Oilers players Corey Perry and Leon Draisaitl.
Rhett donned an Oilers jersey that was gifted to him by the pair.
The return of k.d. lang and the Reclines was expected to be a highlight of the show.
The appearance will mark the first time the Alberta songstress has teamed up with the band in 35 years and is tied to lang’s induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
The awards show is back in Alberta’s capital for the first time since 2014. It was held in Hamilton last year and in Calgary in 2022.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.
VANDERHOOF, B.C. – British Columbia Conservatives are promising changes they say will bring more stability to the province’s struggling forest industry.
Leader John Rustad announced his plan for the sector a week before the official launch of the provincial election campaign, saying a Conservative government would do away with stumpage fees paid when timber is harvested and instead put a tax on the final products that are produced.
Rustad said Saturday that under a provincial Conservative government, a small fee may be charged upfront, but the bulk would come at the end of the process, depending on what type of product is created.
He also promised to review how wildfires are managed, as well as streamline the permit process and review what he calls the province’s “uncompetitive cost structure.”
“British Columbia is by far the highest cost producers of any jurisdiction in North America. We need to be able to drive down those costs, so that our forest sector can actually be able to do the reinvestment, to be able to create the jobs and make sure that they’re still there to be able to support our communities,” he said.
The governing New Democrats meanwhile, say eliminating stumpage fees would inflame the softwood lumber dispute with the United States and hurt forestry workers.
In a statement issued by the NDP, Andrew Mercier, the party’s candidate in Langley-Willowbrook, said Rustad failed to support the industry when he was in government under the former BC Liberals.
“Not only will Rustad’s old thinking and recycled ideas fail to deliver, his proposal to eliminate stumpage would inflame the softwood lumber dispute — punishing forestry workers and communities,” Mercier said, accusing Rustad of ignoring the complexity of the challenges facing the industry.
The softwood lumber dispute between the U.S. and Canada stretches back decades. In August, the U.S. Department of Commerce nearly doubled duties on softwood lumber.
International Trade Minister Mary Ng has said Canada has taken steps to launch two legal challenges under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.
Rustad said a provincial Conservative government would push hard to get a deal with the United States over the ongoing dispute “whether it’s with the rest of Canada or by itself.”
He said his party’s proposed changes are in the name of bringing “stability” and “hope” to the industry that has seen multiple closures of mills in rural communities over the last several years.
Most recently, Canfor Corp. decided to shutter two northern British Columbia sawmills earlier this month, leaving hundreds of workers unemployed by the end of the year.
According to the United Steelworkers union, Canfor has closed 10 mills in the province since November 2011, including nine in northern B.C.
Jeff Bromley, chair of the United Steelworkers wood council, said Saturday the idea of changes in favour of taxing the final product has been floated in the past.
He said the finer details of the Conservative plan will be important, but that the system needs to be improved and “new ideas are certainly something I’d be willing to entertain.”
“Something needs to happen, or the industry is just going to bleed and wither away and be a shadow of its former self,” Bromley said.
“Politics aside, if (Rustad) can come up with a policy that enables my members to work, then I would be supportive of that. But then I’m supportive of any government that would come up with policies and fibre for our mills to run. Period.”
When Canfor announced its latest closures, Forests Minister Bruce Ralston said the sector was a “foundational part” of the province and the current NDP government would work to support both local jobs and wood manufacturing operations.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers placed All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve because of his lingering calf and Achilles tendon injuries.
The move made Saturday means McCaffrey will miss at least four more games after already sitting out the season opener. He is eligible to return for a Thursday night game in Seattle on Oct. 10.
McCaffrey got hurt early in training camp and missed four weeks of practice before returning to the field on a limited basis last week. He was a late scratch for the opener on Monday night against the Jets and now is sidelined again after experiencing pain following practice on Thursday.
McCaffrey led the NFL last season with 2,023 yards from scrimmage and was tied for the league lead with 21 touchdowns, winning AP Offensive Player of the Year.
The Niners made up for McCaffrey’s absence thanks to a strong performance from backup Jordan Mason, who had 28 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown in San Francisco’s 32-19 victory over the New York Jets. Mason is set to start again Sunday at Minnesota.
After missing 23 games because of injuries in his final two full seasons with Carolina, McCaffrey had been healthy the past two seasons.
He missed only one game combined in 2022-23 — a meaningless Week 18 game last season for San Francisco when he had a sore calf. His 798 combined touches from scrimmage in the regular season and playoffs were the third most for any player in a two-year span in the past 10 years.
Now San Francisco will likely rely heavily on Mason, a former undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech who had 83 carries his first two seasons. He had at least 10 touches just twice before the season opener, when his 28 carries were the most by a 49ers player in a regular-season game since Frank Gore had 31 against Seattle on Oct. 30, 2011.
The Niners also have fourth-round rookie Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor Jr. on the active roster. Guerendo played three offensive snaps with no touches in the opener. Taylor had 65 carries for Green Bay from 2021-23.
San Francisco also elevated safety Tracy Walker III from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against Minnesota.
