Nova Scotia residents are encouraged to receive COVID-19 and influenza vaccines as cold and flu season begins.
Unlike last year, when there were shortages, most pharmacy shelves across the state are fully stocked. Pharmacist Alicia Brine is already busy helping her customers find some of the most popular medicines for this time of year.
“Many people have been complaining of persistent coughs this year, and coughs can be caused by either the coronavirus, influenza, or cold viruses, and symptoms tend to linger long after they get better. 2. It’s normal for it to last three weeks,” says Brine.
Virus activity is starting to increase across Nova Scotia.
“We’re just in the middle of flu season,” says Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health.
He said that so far this year, the level of severe cases appears to be lower than in past years.
Currently, the most common viruses in the state are Influenza A and the currently circulating novel coronavirus. The highest number of laboratory-confirmed influenza and coronavirus cases are in the central and northern parts of the state, primarily affecting people 65 and older.
“The people who were diagnosed were people who were hospitalized and people who were in long-term care facilities, because in those places it’s hard to know exactly what virus you have. That’s even more important,” Dr. Strang said.
He says this is partly because people seem to be slow to roll up their sleeves.
“Even among people who are at higher risk due to age or health conditions, uptake of both the coronavirus vaccine and the influenza vaccine is not very high.”
The number of people infected with RSV is also increasing, and many of them are children between the ages of 2 and 4.
Cold and flu season typically peaks after Christmas and lasts until the end of February.
