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Flu outbreak keeps Kelowna General Hospital running at over-capacity

As of Tuesday, the hospital was at 124 per cent capacity, say officials
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KGH is running at 124 per cent of capacity

Kelowna General Hospital is still running at over capacity, due in large part to an outbreak of the flu and gastrointestinal illness.

As of Tuesday, the hospital was 124 per cent full. That is a figure officials say can fluctuate on a daily, and even an hourly basis.

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥Âٱ𱹱ð°ù²¹±ô of the ³¦´Ç³¾³¾³Ü²Ô¾±³Ù²âÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s residential care facilities are on outbreak, which means we are caring for some ill °ù±ð²õ¾±»å±ð²Ô³Ù²õ,Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥ said Danielle Cameron, Health Service Director at KGH.

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥œA²Ô outbreak at a care facility can also mean admissions may be restricted, so we have been unable to discharge some healthy residents back to their care homes. Having said that, our staff and physicians are working extremely hard and are providing safe, quality care to all hospital patients, regardless of this increase in ±¹´Ç±ô³Ü³¾±ð.Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥

Cameron said that the hospital is providing safe patient care and are open and ready to care for anyone who attends hospital.

The flu has been particularly aggressive this year.

From the first week of September to date, there have been 21 deaths from care homes, 10 of which were from the Okanagan.

There have also been 122 lab confirmed cases of influenza, said Pamela de Bruin, Manager, Communicable Diseases and Immunization Programs, and 70 per cent of those cases are a match for the flu vaccine administered earlier in the year.

DeBruin ³¦´Ç³Ü»å²ÔÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™t say whether those who have been afflicted were vaccinated.

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥œW³ó±ð²Ô a care facility is licenced, providers offer the influenza ±¹²¹³¦³¦¾±²Ô±ð,Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥ she said. Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥œT¾±³¾¾±²Ô²µ is a big factor. If they »å¾±»å²ÔÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™t immunize early enough that can have an impact on ±è°ù´Ç³Ù±ð³¦³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô.Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥

Other factors with the elderly are to do with overall health, as those with a compromised immune system may still suffer from the flu even with a vaccination Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥” though, not as much.

That, said de Bruin, is something ²õ³ó±ðÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™d like more people to be aware of.

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥œT³ó±ð°ù±ð are people who are vaccination hesitant. Last year or the year before, we »å¾±»å²ÔÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™t have a good match and that decreases confidence in the ±è³Ü²ú±ô¾±³¦,Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥ she said.

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥œW±ð ³¦²¹²ÔÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™t always predict what will happen. The World Health Organization recommends what the strains (to vaccinate against) should be based on ·É³ó²¹³ÙÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s circulating in the southern hemisphere and then the time it takes to manufacture the disease takes ³Ù¾±³¾±ð.Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥

Interior Health said ³Ù³ó±ð²âÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™d encourage anyone who is unsure of whether they need to come to hospital to connect with their primary care provider or call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 to speak to a medical professional or if they require emergency care come to the emergency department.





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