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Getting Moose Jaw H1N1 ready

H1N1

Published on September 22nd, 2009; Published on September 22nd, 2009
Carter Haydu Times-Herald

When the H1N1 pandemic rates peak in Moose Jaw later this autumn, the local health region recommends residents be ready for the influenza and take precautions to combat the infection by — most notably — staying home when sick.

Topics :: Moose Jaw

During a H1N1 presentation at SIAST Palliser Campus on Tuesday, Five Hills Health Region medical health officer Dr. Mark Vooght said, when disease-frequency reaches its height sometime in November or December, it’s likely 20-35 per cent of those in the Moose Jaw area can expect to get sick.

“From what we know (though), most cases are quite mild,” he said, adding the health region expects as many as 19,000 people will contract the disease locally, with possibly 9,000 visiting outpatient medical facilities and about 250 people requiring hospitalization.

“From what we know (though), most cases are quite mild." - Mark Vooght

The health region expects the next H1N1 wave will start hitting Moose Jaw in October. Vooght told presentation-goers the province currently documents approximately five cases per week, but that figure should increase greatly a couple weeks after outside temperature drop.

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X MJ GUY IN ALBERTA

- September 23rd, 2009 at 13:02:17

Assuming the worst happens and 35% of citizens get sick within days or weeks of one another, all public gatherings and events will be cancelled, emergency services may be compromised, schools, grocery stores, transportation and delivery services and perhap even hospitals, will close due to lack of staff or company policy, e.g., Safeway here shuts its doors if 20% or more of their staff are unavailable due to illness. This is one of those times when you hope for the best and plan for the worst so it may be a good time to start stalking up on food and water. Dr. Vooght speculates that most cases will be mild but until he presents statistical evidence to prove his case, he's making his best guess.

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