H1N1 outbreak reaches plateau?

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This article was published 16/06/2009 (6280 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Confirmed H1N1 influenza cases continue to rise in Manitoba but the province’s top public health official said the number of patients on respirators seems to be stabilizing.

As of Monday, there were 152 confirmed cases of the virus in the province and 30 people in intensive-care units who had suspected, probable or confirmed cases of H1N1.

“We are still seeing a few new admissions a day… in the range of one to three,” chief provincial public health officer Dr. Joel Kettner said.

“However, the discharge rate — in other words, successful treatment (and removal from) the ventilators — is approximately equal to that number, so the total numbers that we’re having in ICU is remaining about constant.”

Kettner stressed the province is still tracking the spread of the virus but there is some evidence the flu may have reached its peak.

“It looks as though we may be plateauing a little bit but I don’t want to make any predictions yet,” he said.

Kettner also emphasized that only a small proportion of those infected with H1N1 will show severe symptoms or develop a related case of pneumonia and require hospitalization.

“Just thinking you have H1N1 is not an 911 emergency,” he stressed. “If you feel as if you have a typical milder type of influenza-like illness, use your usual common sense and judgment. But don’t hesitate to contact your health provider…”

He said people should watch for shortness of breath and persistent high fever: “The key is feeling short of breath or out of breath. That is not typical of influenza and people who have those symptoms should not hesitate to get prompt medical care.”

Jan Currie, vice-president and chief nursing officer for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, said in the last two weeks there has been a small spike in the number of people visiting emergency departments, though this is to be expected during a flu outbreak.

While she stressed the public is not misusing the service, she said not everyone with flu symptoms who goes to the hospital needs emergency care.

“We do see people who come to emergency because they have quite a mild flu and are worried and they feel they should get a test,” Currie said. “The truth of the matter is we don’t test people unless they’re severely ill.”

Anyone who shows up with mild symptoms will be seen, but they will likely have to wait longer, she said.

To deal with the increased number of patients needing ventilators at St. Boniface Hospital, elective surgeries continue to be relocated to Victoria Hospital, Currie said.

This allows nurses who would normally work in the surgery recovery room — and who have similar training as intensive care nurses — to help deal with the influx of patients on ventilators, she said.

Currie said that nine more calls also came in over the weekend from health professionals offering to travel north, after Health Minister Theresa Oswald appealed last week for more help in First Nations hit by the outbreak..

arielle.godbout@freepress.mb.ca