Alberta records highest number of weekly new flu cases in 14 years
https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/alberta-...ears-1.6688291
Local hospitals also are seeing an influx of people, but with the health-care system already strained, some of those who may need treatment aren't being seen by medical professionals, Dr. Darren Markland told CTV News Edmonton.
"There are no beds in the hospital. In fact, we're at about 150-per-cent capacity, and of course, that's really hampering. Once you become a stretched-out hospital, everything becomes super inefficient."
.Markland said some people who may be sick "will tough it out" because they can't be seen by a physician in a timely manner, which could lead to more complications and a worse outcome.
"In the ICU, I'm seeing the worst-case complications and people who go home, kind of pound back the Advil and then develop a secondary bacterial infection, and then they get super sick, and they end up in the ICU on all forms of life support," he said.
"I'm not trying to scare people, but a really good, functional health-care system should say, 'If I feel crappy, I should be able to see my family doctor within 24 hours to sort things out.' It doesn't exist, and that's why we're seeing delayed presentations of people who could be very well managed by care networks. Nurse practitioners, physicians, all people working in care networks could easily support this, but it's not there."