H1N1 Could Hit Northern Reserves Hard

H1N1 Could Hit Northern Reserves Hard

Wednesday, September 09, 2009 at 12:06

 

 

The second wave of the H1N1 flu virus is expected to strike northern Saskatchewan in the next few months, with many new cases on First Nations reserves.

 

Dr. Mandiangu Nsungu of the Northern Inter-Tribal Health authority says he expects 30 to 35% of northerners living on-reserve will contract the virus at some point.

 

However, he estimates roughly only half of those affected will actually feel the need to contact a doctor.

 

Nsungu says he expects the majority of patients to wind up with the mild form of the disease.

 

He says some will contract the more serious form of the illness, though, and could wind up in a hospital’s intensive care unit.

 

Nsungu does caution that many of the current pandemic projections are based on the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918.

 

He says in this day and age, it is impossible to know just how the H1N1 virus will behave.

 

Nsungu says he’s heard the vaccine for the virus could be released some time in November.

 

He says it will be distributed to the communities after that.