Influenza cases in Townsville have surged to a five-year high, and residents are being warned to brace for a second wave as schools resume and cases continue to climb.
20 children a day are being admitted to hospitals in Queensland due to influenza. Queensland’s chief health officer is fearing an unstoppable contagion of influenza when school returns on Monday. He believes the number of children hospitalised by the flu will rise to 50 a day. The Chief Health Officer is calling for Queenslanders to get vaccinated.
Doctor Steven Donohue, Director of the Townsville Public Health Unit, has expressed concern that a second wave could be imminent amid what has already been a busy flu season.
He noted that cases had started to climb again after a temporary decline following a peak in late March and early April, during which more than 200 cases were recorded a week at its peak.
Dr Donohue revealed that the recent up-tick in cases has seen around 50 diagnoses at the hospital last week alone.
He emphasised that the reported cases likely represent “just the tip of the iceberg” as many individuals who fall ill do not get tested, suggesting actual case numbers are much higher.
As children return to school from holidays this week, Dr Donohue anticipates a further increase in cases.
Doctor Steven Donohue, Director Townsville Public Health Unit is urging people to get vaccinated as influenza cases climb. Picture: Shae Beplate.
He highlighted that Townsville’s flu season is already well above the five-year average.
However, he pointed out that the past five years had seen “artificially low” numbers due to the impact of Covid-19 measures like handwashing, isolation, and mask-wearing, which helped prevent the spread of the flu.
Dr Donohue stressed the importance of vaccination and staying home when sick to prevent the spread of influenza.
“If you’re sick, even if you don’t know whether you’ve got Covid, influenza, RSV, or even whooping cough, stay home if you’re sick,” he advised.
“If it’s quite nasty, particularly if you’ve got a severe coughing illness, which could be whooping cough, go and get checked by your doctor because you might need antibiotics.”
He also underscored the continued importance of hand hygiene and avoiding close contact with sick individuals.
“It’s still important to protect yourself by being very careful with hand washing, trying to stay away from people who are sick or coughing. If you can’t, then wear a mask,” he said.
While Dr Donohue does not believe the current situation warrants a return to mask mandates, he acknowledged the effectiveness of masks, especially in high-risk settings such as aged care homes and hospitals.
He encouraged vulnerable individuals, including those with health conditions or elderly residents, to consider wearing masks in crowded areas.