Quebec ERs are overflowing before flu season hits its peak

Before the height of flu season, Quebec emergency rooms are overflowing in several regions, including the greater Montreal area, Centre-du-Québec and the Capitale-Nationale.

Dr. Antonio D’Angelo, chief medical officer of the emergency pediatrics department at CHU Sainte-Justine in Montreal, said he expects the number of infections to peak on Dec. 25 or 26, a time when fewer people are available in the health network to take care of patients.

“It’s usually very busy at this time of year, but this year, on top of that, the flu arrived a little earlier,” D’Angelo said. 

Currently, nearly one out of every five patients who comes to the emergency room leaves without seeing a doctor, according to Dr. Gilbert Boucher, president of the Association des spécialistes en médecine d’urgence du Québec.

Boucher is urging infected individuals not to visit vulnerable people, such as the elderly, during the holiday season.

Last week, Quebec’s Laboratoire de santé publique du Québec reported about 3,500 cases of influenza in the province. Currently, 26 per cent of tests conducted for influenza A (H3N2 strain) in the general population are coming back positive.

Public health officials note that the flu is spreading particularly among children aged five to 17, and that, quite often, parents go to emergency rooms instead of consulting a doctor or letting the child rest at home.

In cases of influenza, fever generally lasts five to seven days. And most of the time, children recover well, D’Angelo said. He recommends going to the emergency room only if a child under three months old has a fever, or in cases of dehydration or respiratory distress.

Those types of cases have made this year’s flu situation stand out somewhat, said Dr. Judy Morris, outgoing president of the Association des médecins d’urgence du Québec. 

In an interview with Radio-Canada’s Tout un matin, Morris said that the fact that many parents are also ill is adding this year to the “usual burden.” 

There are also at least eight reported cases of measles in Quebec as of Sunday, including two at CHU Sainte-Justine, and patients could be contagious in hospital waiting rooms.

WATCH | Flu cases surging among children:

Uptick in child flu cases putting pressure on Quebec pediatric hospitals

Flu season hit the province early and it’s expected to peak around the holidays. Both the CHU Sainte-Justine and the Montreal Children’s hospitals are asking parents to avoid the emergency room if their children don’t require urgent care.

Highly vulnerable seniors

Older adults have been particularly affected by the severity of the flu this year.

“Whether in the waiting room or on a stretcher, nearly one out of every two patients shows up with a high fever and flu symptoms,” said Dr. Élyse Berger Pelletier, an emergency physician at Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis.

These are mostly elderly people who are often knocked down by a fever and have no choice but to come to the hospital, she said. 

Fearing that the holiday season could intensify the spread of the flu, public health authorities are reminding people of the importance of monitoring symptoms before attending large gatherings. They also recommend using a clinic to see a doctor or calling 811 to get advice from a nurse.

Morris also emphasized that wearing a mask is still a good habit to have when experiencing symptoms. 

“We can see that it works. In hospitals, we wear it,” Morris said. 

Dr. Caroline Quach, Quebec’s national director of public health, said symptoms are more worrisome when a fever goes away and returns after two or three days.

“That’s when we have to ask ourselves whether there is a bacterial superinfection and whether antibiotics might then be necessary,” Quach said. “It’s often at this second stage that a doctor should be consulted.”

Almost everywhere in Canada

Nationwide, the percentage of positive flu tests was 27.7 per cent last week, according to Health Canada, which underlined that the positivity rate is approaching the highest level recorded over the past three seasons.

In several provinces, including British Columbia and Saskatchewan, public health authorities are concerned about low vaccination coverage. Although less effective this year, the flu vaccine still helps prevent complications among the populations most at risk, experts say.

Only the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Newfoundland and Labrador are currently being spared.