By GILLIAN SLADE on September 5, 2020.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com

In the final weeks of the official 2019/2020 influenza season there were exceptionally low levels.

According to the FluWatch report, issued by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the percentage of positive tests remained at the lowest level recorded for the past nine seasons.

COVID-19 contributed to this, according to the report, due to changes in healthcare-seeking behaviour, the impact of public health measures such as social distancing and the testing capacity for influenza testing.

The peak of the influenza season appears to have taken place in mid-March nationally, which is about nine weeks earlier compared to the past five seasons.

The season ran from Aug. 25, 2019 to Aug. 22, 2020. Based on data collected in November and December, 2019 the effectiveness of influenza vaccine was measured.

It was estimated to be 58 per cent effective for any influenza, 44 per cent effective for influenza A (H1N1), 62 per cent effective for influenza A (H3N2) and 69 per cent effective for influenza B. It was particularly effective for children up to age 19, there was a good level of protection among working age adults 20 to 64 years. Among adults over 65 years, although imprecise due to small numbers, was lower at 18 per cent, the report states. Additional numbers are still to come.

The last influenza update for Alberta was issued on May 7. There had been 8,470 laboratory confirmed cases of flu, 1534 people had been hospitalized, and 39 deaths.

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Last period of flu season saw very low levels - Medicine Hat News