Provinvial H1N1 update

Nova Scotia continues to experience H1N1 activity across the province. Since the beginning of the 2009-10 influenza season, which runs from September 2009 to September 2010, the province has had: -- 634 lab-confirmed H1N1 cases -- 158 hospitalizations for H1N1 -- two H1N1-related deaths

For the week of Nov. 8 to Nov. 14, there were 51 new hospitalizations of people with lab-confirmed H1N1. "There continues to be H1N1 activity across the province," said Dr. Robert Strang, chief public health officer. "Schools continue to report increased absenteeism in all districts except for the Cumberland Health Authority and the Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority."

Other highlights include: -- The percentage of emergency room visits with influenza-like illness remains high, but has decreased to 24 per cent, down two per cent from Nov. 1 to Nov. 7. -- The percentage of patients with influenza-like illness has decreased to 11 per cent from 19.1 per cent, as reported by physicians around the province.

The province publishes a report on respiratory illnesses, including H1N1, every Wednesday. It can be found at www.gov.ns.ca/hpp/h1n1/flu-activity.asp .

The Department of Health also reported the following for the week of Nov. 8 to Nov. 14: -- 6,950 visits to flu assessment centres -- 3,179 influenza-like illness emergency department visits -- 239 influenza-like illness admissions to hospital. Ninety of those people were still in hospital as of Nov. 14 "The flu assessment centres are working the way we planned," said Dr. Ken Buchholz, physician advisor for the Department of Health. "The centres provide people who have flu-like illness with a brief, highly specific assessment that gets them the treatment they need quickly while reducing the chance the illness will spread to others who require care in emergency departments."

Healthlink 811, Nova Scotia's 24-hour telecare service continues to experience a high volume of calls, with more than 7,000 calls for the week of Nov. 8-14. The website, www.nshealthlink811.ca , had more than 2,500 web hits.