‘It’s unprecedented’: no ​​cases of flu have been detected in Saskatchewan this season

As cases of COVID-19 continue to increase across the country, cases of another infectious disease are proving difficult to find.

Flu rates are extremely low in most parts of Canada this flu season, and none in Saskatchewan.

“It’s amazing, I mean, it’s really unprecedented,” said Andrew Cameron, associate professor of biology at the University of Regina.

“This is a really good news story that I think we all need.”

According to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health, no cases of flu have been identified in the province since the start of the 2020-2021 flu season.

Data from the ministry shows that about a year ago, on January 18, 2020, 1,154 cases of influenza and 10 resulting deaths were confirmed.

This year’s trend comes despite the fact that the ministry estimates that flu vaccinations up to December 31, 2020 are actually lower than the same period in 2019.

Cameron said that with the pandemic health care systems already full, the value of a quiet flu season cannot be overemphasized.

“The vaccination coverage is usually around 30 percent. We do not realize the impact of the flu. It does, however, cause significant mortality and burden on the health care system every year. And it mainly affects the elderly, ”he said.

As for why the flu hasn’t made a name for itself this season, health experts say we can thank the steps taken to prevent the more contagious and deadly coronavirus from spreading.

“If your car is weatherproof to be good at -40, you know it will be good at -20,” explained Kyle Andersen, a professor of biomedical research at the University of Saskatchewan.

Andersen said flu migrates between hemispheres after cooler weather, and travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic likely also helped prevent the spread of flu viruses.

“There was less flu to begin with in places like Asia, South America and Australia because they have done the same things we did for COVID-19,” he said.

Andersen thinks that as long as strict health measures are in place, the trend of low flu rates could continue into the next flu season.

“Flu is always reintroduced by bird populations and pigs and things like that. So we will never really be able to get rid of it, ”he said. “But reducing the total number of people who have the flu on Earth – that will have a long-lasting effect.”

Both Cameron and Andersen suggest that good physical distance and hygiene protocols will still be critical to ensuring that influenza and COVD-19 don’t overload Saskatchewan’s healthcare system in 2021 and beyond.

“I think we will get to a point where we will lift the restrictions and go back to normal policy. But hopefully we can say things like, ‘you know what, take a sick day’. Taking sick days is important, because it is not only good for you, but also for other people. Or, [in the case of] disease, people may be more willing to wear a mask when going out in public. “

Cameron added that even with a significant portion of the population vaccinated against COVID-19, the combination of the new disease and the seasonal flu can still overburden healthcare in the worst cases.

The flu can come back with a vengeance. Next year could be awful, ”said Cameron. “We may get what we feared would happen this year – get the double whammy.”