Doctors say flu season is ahead of schedule this year as cases pop up across Ontario

Doctors say flu season is ahead of schedule this year as cases pop up across Ontario

Wash hands, stay home if you're feeling sick, say health care professionals ahead of Thanksgiving weekend

Flu cases are popping up across the province and some doctors say the season is ahead of schedule this year.

Toronto General Hospital infectious diseases specialist Isaac Bogoch says it’s nothing out of the ordinary, though Ontario has been seeing an uptick in cases ahead of Thanksgiving and Halloween weekends.

"It's an early rise but it absolutely is a rise," he told CBC Toronto Monday. "Flu season starts in the fall and it's the fall. Sometimes it's a little earlier in the fall, sometimes it's a little later … usually [it’s the] tail end of October, early November."

The strain circulating most commonly is H1N1 this year, which tends to be milder on those infected and on hospitals than the H3N2 subtype, Bogoch added.

"At an individual level, any flu … can still cause tremendous harm and people feel really, really crummy," he said.

The country saw a 3.7 per cent positivity rate in the week of Sept. 21 to Sept. 26, according to the Government of Canada respiratory virus surveillance report’s latest data. The positivity rate is the number of tests that come back positive, though it's unclear how many individuals seek out a test when they fall ill.

H1N1 was the dominant strain and detections were highest among those aged 65 or older, the data reveals.

Toronto family doctor Joseph Param says he’s been seeing an increase in influenza patients at his practice, mainly among young adults, who are most likely to travel via public transit, go grocery shopping and work out at gyms. He says some of the symptoms that differentiate the flu from a regular cold include muscle or body pain, fever and fatigue.

"Instead of actually seeing their primary care provider and getting properly tested, [infected people are] assuming it's just a cold. 'Oh, I'll still go into work' or 'I'll still go to school,'" he told CBC Toronto Monday. "Oftentimes, that's where we see the spread."

Param says the early uptick could be attributed to climate change and varying weather patterns, as well as modified travel plans.

In the province, the latest data shows the per cent positivity rate was sitting at three per cent — similarly to the country’s overall — though activity was higher in the week of Sept. 20 than the week prior, according to Public Health Ontario’s respiratory virus tool.

Despite an increase in infections, flu vaccinations are not yet readily available to the public, Bogoch says.

"Flu shots are rolling out now for those who are most at risk," he said. "They'll be available to the general public a little bit later on in the month."

In a statement to CBC Toronto, a Toronto Public Health spokesperson said the city is following Ontario’s respiratory vaccine rollout. Adults aged 65 and older are the first ones to be eligible to receive the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, Chris Wai said Monday.

Bogoch emphasized it’s a good idea to get a flu shot once it becomes available and to stay home if you’re feeling sick.

"It would certainly be helpful if there was some malleability on when the shots could be rolled out and if you could move it up a little bit or down a little bit," Bogoch said.

Param agrees it’s important to get immunized, adding some other good ways to avoid getting the flu are to wash your hands regularly, steer clear of high density places and wear a mask.

"The greater our herd immunity, the more we're protected as a community," he said. "People think, 'I didn't get the flu last year. I'm not going to get my flu shot this year.'"

Fall sniffles and coughs signify cold viruses are circulating again, health experts say

"Those viruses are mutating and they're evolving. That can make subsequent flu seasons more challenging and more unpredictable, which makes it harder for us to plan for," he added.

As for Thanksgiving weekend, Param recommends staying home if you’re sick.

"It's important to learn from the lessons of the pandemic," he said. "We can always connect later."

Gabriela Silva Ponte has been with CBC Toronto since January 2025. Currently, she works as a web writer, but has previously taken on a variety of reporting roles in ethnic media newsrooms and at Toronto Metropolitan University. Gabriela graduated from TMU with a Bachelor of Journalism. You can reach her at gabriela.silva.ponte@cbc.ca.

With files from Mercedes Gaztambide