Northerners Hit Harder By Swine Flu

Northerners Hit Harder By Swine Flu

Monday, June 15, 2009 at 14:13

Disease testing labs have been overwhelmed since the Swine Flu outbreak was raised to pandemic level last week, according to Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer, Doctor Moira McKinnon.

But most southern Saskatchewan people are getting mild symptoms, while those in the North tend to be hit harder.

So, Doctor McKinnon is urging the medical community not to order tests on people, unless they’re from the North, or from central region communities on the Manitoba border. Manitoba First Nations have seen a large number of swine flu cases.

“We know what’s happening in the general population, and we know it’s mild. And we just want to concentrate on sorting out how this is going to affect the northern communities, and whether they need different interventions or earlier management, for example earlier anti-virals,” McKinnon says.

She says the more serious impact of the flu in northern communities might be due to factors such as diabetes or isolation.

McKinnon says her office is watching for a severe outbreak in the North.

So far, that hasn’t happened.