Province gives H1N1 summary during Wednesday news briefing

Provincial health officials said during a news briefing on Wednesday that H1N1 is the only flu strain they are seeing right now in the province.

"We will continue to see more sick people, and activity across the province,” said Maureen Baikie, deputy chief medical officer of health.

“We’re in the second wave and we don’t know quite what to expect,” she added. “But I don’t see anything so far that’s surprising me.”

Nova Scotia continues to experience an increase of 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:

-- 377 lab-confirmed cases

-- 26 hospitalizations for H1N1

-- No H1N1-related deaths since the province's one H1N1 fatality in July.

Baikie cautioned that the number of lab confirmed cases is not a good representation of the amount of illness in the province. And because the illness is becoming more widespread, she said what the public will start to see is less lab testing.

“So that can’t be a realiable indicator,” she said, adding, that’s why the province depends on multiple indicators to track H1N1.

The following district health authorities have reported outbreaks of influenza-like illness, with an increase in school absenteeism:

-- South Shore Health

-- South West Health

-- Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority

-- Capital Health

Other H1N1 information that was highlighted during the Nov. 4 media briefing included:

-- The percentage of emergency room visits for influenza-like illness has increased to 15.4 per cent, from 3.7 per cent since the week of Oct. 18 to 24.

-- Influenza-like illness has increased to 10.3 per cent, from 5.4 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