Children are particularly affected by the flu

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QMI agency

Monday, 29 January, 2018 19:50

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Monday, 29 January, 2018 19:50

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The flu season is at its peak and it hits hard this year, with children being particularly affected.

When the influenza virus spreads, emergencies are quickly overwhelmed and the children’s hospitals are no exception.

Many concerned parents rush their child to the emergency department of the Montreal children’s hospital. Usually, it is more than 220 people there, but, these days, it exceeds 280.

“It’s a lot of cases of virus, flu, fever, five to seven days,” said Harley Eisman, head of the emergency department at the Montreal children’s Hospital.

The three doctors and ten nurses who work there are overwhelmed.

The mother of Thomas, a young patient, had to turn to the hospital. “There, I don’t know if he has a fever, but it has been five days that he has trouble getting to sleep, to eat, to drink, that it is gloomy,” said Jessica St-Amant.

The influenza, combined with other health problems, affects young as well as adults and also increase the pressure on the ambulance services.

“Normally, for a Sunday, to give an example, it is located approximately 50 calls for the first time, a detailed Stéphane Smith, Emergency health. And yesterday [Sunday], it was 80 calls per hour”, he explained, mentioning that there are a lot of cases of flu, gastro and falls to the outside.

Last week, more than 6,000 laboratory tests have been carried out in Québec for the detection of influenza. Some 18 % were positive for influenza A, and more than 10 % for influenza B.

To try to decrease the traffic to the emergency room, Montreal children’s hospital now offers parents using an app available in the waiting room or on a mobile device. Thus, they may be sent to a clinic and spend less time waiting.

– According to a report from Harold Won