Respiratory illnesses are on the rise throughout Canada, with Saskatchewan also reporting increased levels of sickness.
While there was a 10-per cent decrease in levels of COVID-19 from Dec. 15 to 28, positive influenza and RSV test rates increased six and 20 per cent, respectively.
RSV primarily affects children four years old and younger, forcing many to hospitals for treatment.
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Terry Klassen, provincial department head for the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), says he’s optimistic an RSV vaccine will be available for Saskatchewan soon.
“…It won’t help us this season, but we hope in future seasons that we will be able to lessen the worry of families and children because we will be able to offer this as a preventative strategy so that children don’t have to visit emergency. They don’t have to come into [the] hospital.”
According to the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s Community Respiratory Illness Surveillance Program (CRISP), hospital admissions for RSV increased nearly 100 per cent, though no deaths were caused by it through the latter half of December.
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