The influenza season has been virtually non-existent in New Brunswick this year.
Not surprisingly the pandemic has played a role in addition to the huge demand for flu shots last fall.
Moncton pharmacist Cynthia Ferguson says we can give credit to all of the public health measures we have been following to combat COVID-19.
Ferguson says fewer people have been getting sick due to things like mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing.
“I know our antibiotics have barely been used this year. A lot of our antibiotics have expired because we haven’t had as many people with infections this winter.”
She says fewer babies have been getting sick too with respiratory infections such as RSV.
The provincial Department of Health says influenza activity remains exceptionally low for this time of year.
No outbreaks have been reported so far this season.
The federal Public Health Agency has also noted little flu activity across Canada in recent months.
Ferguson has never seen a flu season as mild as this one before.
“Not everyone may like the idea but wearing a mask could be beneficial every winter not just for COVID.”
