Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab. (Joseph Ho/980 CJME)

By CJME News

Health authority provides update on influenza numbers

Jan 17, 2020 | 3:36 PM

The number of cases of lab-confirmed influenza dropped during the second full week of 2020.

According to the Saskatchewan Health Authority, there were 174 cases in the week of Jan. 11. That was down from the 339 cases in the week of Jan. 4.

“We’re right at the middle of the peak, but hopefully over the next four to six weeks, it will start declining,” Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan’s chief medical officer, said during a media conference Friday.

Since September, there have been 1,050 cases of influenza in the province. There also have been 30 outbreaks in long-term care facilities and 16 admissions to intensive care units since the start of this flu season.

Shahab said most of the ICU admissions were seniors or adults, but one was a child under five.

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There also have been five deaths — three seniors and two adults.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Adriana Christianson