Flu activity in B.C. peaking as COVID-19, respiratory virus decline

British Columbia is seeing “peaking influenza activity” even as other respiratory illnesses such as RSV and COVID-19 are in decline, and health officials are reminding people to get vaccinated.

The BC Centre for Disease Control says influenza A infections remain high and continue to increase, with the percentage of tests returning positive up to 24 per cent in the week ending Feb. 1.

That figure is more than double that of the 11.7 per cent reported between Dec. 22 and Dec. 28.

Dr. Danuta Skowronski with the centre says the higher rate is “typical” for respiratory illness season, except the spike is happening later than usual.

She says similar spikes have not developed for RSV and COVID-19 infections, which would have created challenging “double whammies” for the province.

Skowronski, the principal investigator for a Canadian surveillance network on vaccine effectiveness, says monitoring has determined this year’s flu vaccine has cut the rate of people needing to see the doctor by about half, compared with those who aren’t vaccinated.

She says the vaccine remains among the best protection against the illness, but adds people should still take precautions if symptoms appear such as staying home.

“If you’re an older individual and your grandchild is currently sick with flu-like illness, it would be best to stay away until they have recovered,” Skowronski says. “And, additionally, there are antiviral medications that can be used specifically against influenza for those people who are at higher risk.”

The BC Centre for Disease Control says wastewater trends for influenza A also “continue to increase and remain elevated” at most locations across the province.

The current spike in influenza activity follows January data that showed B.C. having one of the worst flu rates in Canada, while also possessing one of the lowest COVID-19 test positivity rates in the country.