Swine Flu wave sends 162 to B.C. hospitals in one week

B.C. hospital have admitted 162 people in the past week for severe Swine Flu symptoms, the B.C. government announced on Tuesday. In the past two weeks, 250 have been admitted to hospital with six confirmed deaths.

VICTORIA – B.C. is reeling from a Swine Flu wave that has sent 162 people to hospital in one week and resulted in three more deaths. In total, the past two weeks of intense Swine Flu activity has resulted in the hospitalization of 250 people. The figure represents a massive hike compared to all 361 hospitalizations since Swine Flu was first noticed in B.C. in April. The latest deaths announced by the ministry of health takes the total number of fatalities to six in the past two weeks. In total, 15 people have been killed since April. “Since Oct. 27, there have been 162 new severe cases of H1N1 identified in B.C. – seventy-nine in Fraser Health, fifty in Vancouver Coastal Health, seventeen in Interior Health, eight on Vancouver Island and eight in Northern Health – with three new deaths, two in Fraser Health and one in Vancouver Coastal Health,” the ministry announced. Of the 162 new admissions to hospital, 12 were admitted to ICU. So far, 63 people have needed intensive care in hospital, usually with ventilation support or oxygenation. In total, BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) has confirmed 361 severe H1N1 cases in British Columbia since April. To date, fifteen laboratory-confirmed H1N1 cases in B.C. are reported to have died. In thirteen of those cases, there were underlying medical conditions. One case is currently under investigation.