A fourth Ottawa resident has died from complications relating to the influenza A (H1N1) virus, also known as swine flu, Ottawa Public Health said Thursday.
At the same time that Medical Officer of Health Dr. Isra Levy announced the death of a 55-year-old city woman in connection with H1N1, he said the “H1N1 situation in Ottawa remains stable in terms of the number of cases,” and that Ottawa is now “past the peak of the first wave of cases.”
The woman, who died in the last week, had an underlying medical condition, said Levy. The city has had four new cases in the past week, bringing the total of lab-confirmed cases to 361. Of these people, 69 have been hospitalized, with one person remaining in hospital.
Three long-term-care facilities have had a respiratory outbreak recently, Levy said. Also, nine members of the Governor General’s Foot Guards who showed flu-like symptoms earlier this week are in self-isolation at a residence at Carleton University. They did not need treatment, Levy said.
Levy said he expects a busy flu season and that the vaccine will be available in the community in the fall.
