Ontario’s top doctor says flu season may have peaked

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health says Thursday that the flu season may have peaked in the province.

Dr. Kieran Moore believes flu season hit its apex in recent days and says there has also been a steady decrease in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The number of people testing positive for influenza declined last week up to Dec. 10 and test positivity has also gone down, Moore says.

The amount and severity of viral illnesses have overwhelmed children’s hospitals in the past two months, as children are being seen with serious flu, COVID-19 and RSV infections.

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Pediatric hospitals across the province have postponed surgeries to redirect staff to help out intensive care units and emergency departments.

Moore says the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 peaked in October with about 2,000 patients. Now there are about 1,100 to 1,200 people in hospital with the disease over recent days.

He also believes that recent trends are heading in a better direction, which may put less pressure on the acute care department in the coming days.

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