At the Pharmasave in Kelowna, B.C.’s Glenmore space, some cabinets that will usually be stuffed with over-the-counter drugs to deal with signs of the flu and different respiratory diseases are pretty sparse.

“Flu medication sales are crazy to put it mildly,” stated proprietor pharmacist Craig Tostenson.

With an abnormally-high demand for remedy this flu season, producers are struggling to maintain up.

“Since it’s a really harsh flu season that sales, the demand is going to continue,” Tostenson instructed Global News.

This yr’s flu season is being described as vastly totally different from years previous.

“It has started earlier and it has been more prominent,” stated Dr. Fatemeh Sabet, medical well being officer with Interior Health (IH).

The surges in COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have well being specialists calling this a “tridemic” — a triple risk that’s placing pressure on well being care.

“We have seen an increase in different respiratory infections at the same time this year,” Sabet stated. “It is something that we were not seeing at this level during the years before the pandemic.”

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In the Interior Health area, whereas November and December noticed the height when it comes to the variety of instances, IH stated respiratory diseases are nonetheless having a huge impact.

“We continue to see respiratory infections at a high level,” Sabet stated.

After being the principle wrongdoer early on within the season, Sabet stated influenza numbers have declined.

However, that’s not the case with RSV and COVID.

“The number of RSV infections are increasing, the number of COVID infections are slightly increasing,” she stated.

While extreme outcomes like hospitalizations and deaths are presently steady, in keeping with IH, there are individuals who have to be additional cautious.

“Individuals who are older or younger population, infants younger than six months of age and individuals with underlying medical conditions,” Sabet stated. “So it is more important for these individuals to be aware that respiratory infections continue to be circulating.”

Sabet urged the general public, and particularly the susceptible inhabitants, to take steps to guard themselves.

“The best thing that we can do is to be up to date for our vaccines,” she stated. ” Staying residence whenever you’re sick or when you could have any signs of respiratory an infection and in addition comply with hygiene measures like hand-washing or avoiding touching your face, sneezing or coughing into your elbow and carrying masks in case it’s wanted.”

IH stated the Omicron variant continues to be probably the most dominant pressure of COVID-19 that’s circulating throughout the well being area. Health officers at the moment are maintaining a tally of the brand new model of it, the XBB1.5 subvariant.

While IH stated many of the instances in B.C. are within the Lower Mainland, the well being authority stated it’s probably it’s solely a matter of time earlier than this area is impacted.

“Considering our previous experiences of circulating respiratory infections. Interior Health follows the number of cases in the Lower Mainland,” Sabet stated. “So we are expecting to an increase in the numbers here too.”

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