TORONTO — Ontario’s chief medical officer of health says flu season may now have peaked in the province.
Dr. Kieran Moore believes seasonal flu has peaked in recent days and there has also been a slight decrease in respiratory syncytial virus in Ontario.
Children’s hospitals in Ontario and elsewhere have been overwhelmed with cases of respiratory illnesses over the past two months. Seasonal flu accounted for the bulk of recent admissions to many children’s hospitals across the country.
Major pediatric hospitals have canceled elective surgeries in order to redeploy staff to intensive care and the emergency room.
Moore said Thursday that Ontario has seen a sharp drop in childhood hospitalizations for all respiratory illnesses.
He warns, however, that the respiratory syncytial virus will persist and put continued pressure on children’s hospitals.