Outbreak continues at 21 Island schools WAYNE THIBODEAU The Guardian
The number of students reporting flu-like illness dropped for a fifth consecutive day at Prince Edward Island schools.
As of Friday, there were 21 Island schools reporting 10 per cent absenteeism. That’s down from 22 schools on Thursday and down from a high of 35 schools on Monday.
Three West Prince elementary schools are reporting more than 30 per cent of their students out with influenza-like illness. They are Bloomfield Elementary (42.8 per cent), St. Louis Elementary (43.7 per cent) and O’Leary Elementary (30.6 per cent.)
Dr. Lamont Sweet, the Island’s deputy chief health officer, said in an earlier interview it’s too premature to say this signals an end to H1N1.
“It would be extremely unusual to have the numbers go down this fast,” Sweet said.
“Never in the last 20 years have we ever had an outbreak of influenza come in, hit so fast, and decrease so fast. It’s a little bit premature to say this looks good. It looks encouraging but that’s all.”
School vaccination programs for Grades 1, 2, and 3 wrapped up on Friday.
The provincial government had planned to update Islanders on Friday on plans for the next wave of vaccinations and the number of Islanders sick but that never happened.
So it’s unknown what will happen with the clinics next week. The province is now saying a briefing is planned for Monday afternoon.
The Department of Health’s web site says clinics will be held next week for junior and senior high school students and pregnant women, depending on vaccine availability.
The New Brunswick government continues to keep its residents informed. They held a briefing on Friday.
Health officials there said 40,000 more doses of swine flu vaccine are expected to arrive in that province by the middle of next week.
Dr. Eilish Cleary, New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health, says there has been 33 hospitalizations of people infected with the virus this week bringing the total number to 38 since the pandemic arrived in April.
Meanwhile, the first public clinics will be held in New Brunswick on Monday in Bereford and Saint-Marie-Saint-Raphael.
Clinics will be held in Bathurst and Pokemouche on Tuesday.
Who’s hit hard
Following schools still reporting high rates of absenteeism due to H1N1: Eastern
Englewood School
Gulf Shore Consolidated School
Sherwood Elementary School
West Kent Elementary School Western
Alberton Elementary School
Bloomfield Elementary School (42.8 per cent)
Elm St. Elementary School
Greenfield Elementary School
Hernewood Intermediate School
ME Callaghan Intermediate School
Miscouche Consolidated School
O’Leary Elementary School (30.6 per cent)
Parkside Elementary School
Queen Elizabeth Elementary School
Summerside Intermediate School
Somerset Consolidated School
St Louis Elementary School (43.7 per cent)
Tignish Elementary School
Westisle Composite School
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SG from PEI writes: Is this Outbreak H1N1? Only those hospitalized are getting swabbed and tested! And the number of Confirmed Cases were very few!
Dr. Lamont Sweet stated he thinks it's predominantly H1N1 circulating versus other strains. Dr. Scantlebury on Compass stated kids with sniffles should be watched for a few days before sending them to school. He said that there are other strains of virus circulating like there is every year!!!
Mixed Messages? For sure! IMO if they can't do the tests to confirm H1N1 than they can't confirm most cases are H1N1! And if they are going to Vaccinate for H1N1 they should do more testing to confirm we have an Outbreak instead of Vaccinating Islanders under an assumption H1N1 is spreading!
I've had Sinus and sore throat and have been very lethargic for a month. Do I have H1N1? If so, it's lasted a long time without my symptoms getting any worse!!
And are we to suppose the other strains of Flu that circulate every year just decided to stay away this year because they heard H1N1 was coming????
Test and Confirm and report actual facts. H1N1 is the predominant strain circulating or it's not?
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Sue from Prince Edward Island writes: DR.Neil Rau (an infectious desease specialist)spoke on CTV today and gives his view on the H1N1 virus,a very realistic veiw on the subject
here is a link
http://watch.ctv.ca/news/latest/h1n1-numbers/#clip232685
To me what I get from his interview is that only high risk people may need the vaccine and the general public does not need it to so much now,(as the peak in some areas in the country has already occured) I think he's saying its not that big of a concern to most of us.The hyped up media scare and from Health Canada has caused people to run around petrified of this virus ,that looks to him like not that bad.Yes its very contagious and yes people ..if they get it will be sick..it is a flu afterall ,but not that everyone infected is going to drop dead!The vaccine push by Health Canada may turn out to be a mistake that we will all look back on and say what a disaster!!
If a real emergency is ever upon us ,will we learn from those mistakes made and be ready?
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To Sue S G from PEI writes: Thank you for passing on the link. Very enlightening!
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TA from pei writes: How access to mass media can spread hysteria through misinformation. Most kids stayed home because parents were concerned over the possibility of their child getting the H1N1. A concern that can be justified due to all the fear mongering that had gone and is still going on. When this is all over, all the arm chair experts will come and, and give their opinions once all the facts are known. They will criticize those who had to make decisions based on the unknown, daily changing events, in the hope of giving prudent advice. Lets all be a little less critical and more thankful to those people who had to cope with this awful event. Let's not forget, to those families that have lost a child to H1N1, this flu has cost tremendous pain and suffering. While most of us can sit behind this key board and spout off, a small number of families had their lives change forever. Our thought and prayers are with them.
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Michael from PEI writes: The new story that hasn't been report is the majority of children being admit to the QEH Have a pneumonic lung infection type symptoms.
Same thing that has been happening in Ukraine. H1N1 Vaccine does not protect against it. Neither does Tamiful.
If your child is sick, and lungs seem to be filling up. Have them look into this.
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Sue from PEI writes: I did not mean to downplay the tragic deaths of those unfortunate people and the terrible loss for their familys.Its not something to take lightly.The nurses and doctors who are working hard daily because of H1N1 should be commended for the extra work they are doing. But I do blame our top health officials in how they handled this..yes its a new virus but I think if you look at how many other countries who handled it without instilling the fear factor ,Canada could maybe learn a thing or two.Its no wonder parents are concerned.I think the article above,just sheds a different perspective on the whole thing..one thats maybe a bit more calm
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yep from pe writes: Guardian posters don't hype anything either.
next we'll see somone clain that H1N1 is caused by PNP.
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