A less virulent holiday season in Mauricie and Centre-du-Québec?

As the holiday season and family gatherings approach, respiratory viruses seem to be circulating less in the region compared to recent years.

The number of calls to Info-Santé in Mauricie and Centre-du-Québec related to viruses and respiratory infections is half as high as at the same period last year. This is what says Dr. Guillaume Langlois, medical advisor to the Directorate of Public Health and Population Responsibility at the Integrated University Health and Social Services Center of Mauricie-et-du-Centre-du-Québec (CIUSSS MCQ ).

This is already good news, because it is one of the ways we have to track infectionshe says in an interview on the show End PM.

This year, COVID-19 is not at the top of the list of unwelcome guests. COVID-19 stays calmhe adds. We had a peak in September, and although it is always something to watch out for, it brings very few people to the hospital.

It's the flu virus that's starting to become more threatening.

Influenza has started to rise for two or three weeks in our region, as elsewhere in Quebec.

Regional public health still expects an increase in transmission during the holidays and invites the population to continue to practice prevention measures. If you are sick, wearing a mask is important, washing your hands to protect people you know are vulnerable and not taking them to the hospital on purpose.specifies Dr Langlois.

Effective vaccination

A large part of the population targeted by the CIUSSS MCQ for seasonal vaccination has been vaccinated. We will soon reach 100,000 vaccinated in our regionrejoices the medical advisor. It is certain that we can always do more, but that creates people who are already protected, who will perhaps have less strong reactions and present less risk of going to the hospital, so it is very good news.

I also think people are more aware [des risques] when they are sick. I hope that they will go less to public places, closed places, to go coughing, people will feel more embarrassed too.

Other respiratory viruses are also circulating at the moment, including one that affects young children and can lead to bronchiolitis.

But if we compare to previous years, it's still very, very good newsrecognizes Dr. Langlois.

Saturday, at the beginning of the afternoon, the occupancy rate of stretchers in the main emergencies in Mauricie and Centre-du-Québec varied from 82% to 125%.

According to an interview with End PM