Health and Me

Ishita Roy

Super Flu Virus Update: 91 Flu Outbreaks In Canada, What Makes Subclade K Spread Rapidly, Explain Doctors

<span>Super flu virus</span>, or the new strain of H3N2 <span><a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health/influenza">influenza</a></span> is spreading and has affected a growing number of Canadians, reported the Global News. It is "increasing rapidly" around the country, warn experts. Health Canada confirmed that all regions of the country is affected by the growing influenza activity. 

In the first week of December, Canada saw 6,799 cases of the flu with 91 outbreaks across the country. The number of positive tests also rose by 20.2 per cent as compared to the week before. Hospitalization numbers too have gone up with 3.6 hospitalization per 100,000 population, reported the Global News. 

The strain causing a havoc in public health in Canada is the influenza A (H3N2) strain, which includes a subvariant A (H3N2) <span>subclade K</span>, noted the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Who are hit the hardest? According to Health Canada's report, children are among those being hit hard, and most infections are detected in people under 19. 

<h2>What Is The Super flu doing in Canada?</h2>

After the death of three children in Ottawa, between age five and nine, the health officials have urged anyone over the age of six months to get vaccinated. This means, the parents must step in now. In November, the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, colloquially known as CHEO, also witnessed eight times more children tested positive for influenza as compared to the data of the same month from previous year. Hospitalized too doubled with children affected by flu.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/is-2025-the-year-of-flu-super-flu-k-strain-flu-influenza-a-article-153306755" data-type="tilCustomLink">Is 2025 The Year Of Flu?</a> 

CHEO in a statement said, "The flu is more than a bad cold."

“Children under five are at a higher risk of severe illness from influenza because they have smaller airways, and their immune systems are still developing. Even healthy kids can become seriously ill, and flu spreads quickly in schools and child-care settings.”

Hospitals in Alberta too are seeing a flood of flu patients, this has jumped up to 70 per cent in a week. Dr Fahad Razak, internal medicine physician and professor at the University of Toronto told the Global News that 1 in 5 of all tests are being done are positive. "So that suggests we are right in the midst of that surge. The numbers could go higher."

Thanks to the holiday season and with increased travel, this will impact the surge in numbers, Dr Isaac Bogoch, Infectious disease specialist at Toronto General Hospital told the outlet, "It’s probably going to end up being a more severe and a more significant flu season compared to the average flu season."

<h2>Why Is This New Strain Hitting Hard?</h2>

Doctors explain that subclade K enhances the ability of the virus to slip through our immune protection. However, it does not mean that vaccination offers no protection against the flu. In fact, experts and doctors have been emphasizing the need to get yourself vaccinated to help you protect from the worst effects of the virus. 

“If you look at deaths and severe illness with flu, the vast majority both in adults and in children are unvaccinated,” Razak said.

“Yes, you may get sick, even if you are vaccinated, it’s that the severity, the chance that you’re going to end up in hospital and worst-case scenario in the ICU or die does seem to be significantly protected against by being vaccinated.”

Health Canada too noted that vaccination can prevent anyone infected with influenza from developing any further complications. 

Apart from Canada, the UK and the US are also impacted by the superflu or the subclade K. In the UK the National Health Service (NHS) declared that the country is currently facing "worst case scenario" for December as flu hospitalization has surged by more than half in just one week. NHS in a statement last week said, on an average 2,660 patients were being hospitalized per day with flu last week. This is the higher ever for this time of the year with the surge being up by 55 per cent compared with the week before. 

In the <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/flu-outbreak-close-to-3-million-people-affected-with-1-2k-dead-in-the-us-wheres-the-virus-hitting-hardest-article-153304252" data-type="tilCustomLink">US</a>, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that infections are growing in 43 states.

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Super flu virus, or the new strain of H3N2 influenza is spreading and has affected a growing number of Canadians, reported the Global News. It is "increasing rapidly" around the country, warn experts. Health Canada confirmed that all regions of the country is affected by the growing influenza activity. In the first week of December, Canada saw 6,799 cases of the flu with 91 outbreaks across the country. The number of positive tests also rose by 20.2 per cent as compared to the week before. Hospitalization numbers too have gone up with 3.6 hospitalization per 100,000 population, reported the Global News. The strain causing a havoc in public health in Canada is the influenza A (H3N2) strain, which includes a subvariant A (H3N2) subclade K, noted the World Health Organization (WHO). Who are hit the hardest? According to Health Canada's report, children are among those being hit hard, and most infections are detected in people under 19. What Is The Super flu doing in Canada?After the death of three children in Ottawa, between age five and nine, the health officials have urged anyone over the age of six months to get vaccinated. This means, the parents must step in now. In November, the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, colloquially known as CHEO, also witnessed eight times more children tested positive for influenza as compared to the data of the same month from previous year. Hospitalized too doubled with children affected by flu.Also Read: Is 2025 The Year Of Flu? CHEO in a statement said, "The flu is more than a bad cold."“Children under five are at a higher risk of severe illness from influenza because they have smaller airways, and their immune systems are still developing. Even healthy kids can become seriously ill, and flu spreads quickly in schools and child-care settings.”Hospitals in Alberta too are seeing a flood of flu patients, this has jumped up to 70 per cent in a week. Dr Fahad Razak, internal medicine physician and professor at the University of Toronto told the Global News that 1 in 5 of all tests are being done are positive. "So that suggests we are right in the midst of that surge. The numbers could go higher."Thanks to the holiday season and with increased travel, this will impact the surge in numbers, Dr Isaac Bogoch, Infectious disease specialist at Toronto General Hospital told the outlet, "It’s probably going to end up being a more severe and a more significant flu season compared to the average flu season."Why Is This New Strain Hitting Hard?Doctors explain that subclade K enhances the ability of the virus to slip through our immune protection. However, it does not mean that vaccination offers no protection against the flu. In fact, experts and doctors have been emphasizing the need to get yourself vaccinated to help you protect from the worst effects of the virus. “If you look at deaths and severe illness with flu, the vast majority both in adults and in children are unvaccinated,” Razak said.“Yes, you may get sick, even if you are vaccinated, it’s that the severity, the chance that you’re going to end up in hospital and worst-case scenario in the ICU or die does seem to be significantly protected against by being vaccinated.”Health Canada too noted that vaccination can prevent anyone infected with influenza from developing any further complications. Are Other Countries Impacted?Apart from Canada, the UK and the US are also impacted by the superflu or the subclade K. In the UK the National Health Service (NHS) declared that the country is currently facing "worst case scenario" for December as flu hospitalization has surged by more than half in just one week. NHS in a statement last week said, on an average 2,660 patients were being hospitalized per day with flu last week. This is the higher ever for this time of the year with the surge being up by 55 per cent compared with the week before. In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that infections are growing in 43 states.