Alberta Will Manage Flu Season With ‘Longstanding Practices,’ Says New Top Doc in First Statement

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In his first statement as Alberta’s new chief medical officer of health, Dr. Mark Joffe says the province will manage the annual flu season by transitioning “back to longstanding practices to manage respiratory infections.”

Local public health officials will notify schools of outbreaks and provide support and advice as needed.

“Winter is historically the peak season for respiratory infections,” he said in the Nov. 16 statement. “Like other jurisdictions, Alberta is seeing an early rise in seasonal infections including influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and COVID-19, and is expecting a severe season.”

Joffe said the influenza season in Australia often predicts what flu will look like when it hits Canada.

“This year, Australia had a severe respiratory virus season,” said Joffe.

Based on Australia’s outcomes, he expects Canada’s children and teenagers will have the highest rate of influenza, and children under 16 would account for the majority of hospitalizations. He said influenza can also have a severe impact on the elderly.

“While most children, youth and adults recover from the flu without complications, some can get very sick and need to be treated in hospital. We can expect to see similar outcomes in Alberta. Over the last few weeks, Alberta has seen an increase in reports of symptoms such as cough and fever in schools and daycares,” he said.

Joffe replaced Dr. Deena Hinshaw on Nov. 14, a move that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith promised during her first news conference as premier on Oct. 11. She said at the time she would be getting new advice on public health and replacing Hinshaw, as part of a “new phase where we are now talking about treating coronavirus as endemic, as we do influenza.”

Public Health Advice

Smith has said previously there will be no return to mandatory mask mandates, especially for children in schools.

Some of Joffe’s recommendations are the sort of public health advice that flu season would have included prior to COVID-19 lockdowns: stay home when sick, cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, especially if someone is ill, wash hands with soap and warm water or use sanitizer, avoid other sick people, and avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.

Joffe suggested Albertans can get a flu shot at pharmacies and community medical clinics. He said Albertans can “make the choice to stay up to date” on vaccinations, and can wear a high-quality mask.

“Albertans should be supported regardless of their choice to mask or not,” he said.

Joffe has considerable experience with infectious diseases. He previously chaired the Royal Alexandra Hospital Medical Staff Society and served two terms as president of the Capital Region Medical Staff Association. He was president of the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases of Canada, and has a specialist certificate in internal medicine and a certificate of special competence in infectious diseases from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Joffe, a Calgary native, is also a professor in the department of medicine at the University of Alberta, and did a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Alberta and the Stanford University School of Medicine.

He will not receive additional compensation for his role as chief medical officer of health.