iaink

Bless you...

Souvy

In your case, probably quite high.

BristolUK

According to Public Health Agency of Canada it's 4k to 8k a year.

Just looking over some figures. They're quite scary.

It appears that the rate of Canadians being hospitalised is double the rate of UK folk just seeing their doctor.

This might just mean that Canadians overreact. But then deaths from flu in Canada appear between 7 and 13 times what the UK had in a bad year (602). That's on PHAC figures.

Even on Iaink's figures, that's deaths in Canada of 2 and a half times that of a bad UK year.

Whichever is the more accurate, Canada's annual death totals from flu are somewhere between double and 13 times that of a bad year in the UK.

For a country with half the UK population, that's going some isn't it?


It seems flu is a far bigger problem in Canada than it is in the UK. Perhaps we should view it that way?

iaink

I expect its more likely just one of those reporting variances that screw up statistical comparisons all the time. Canadians are perhaps more likely to be labelled as dying from "influenza" rather then "respiratory complications" or whatever...

my made up numbers came from here by the way...

Novocastrian

It seems as if the rate is increasing year over year. It's prolly the vaccine.

Jingsamichty

For all the claims about 'outdoor lifestyles', I think Canadians probably spend a greater proportion of time in the winter cooped up inside public buildings alongside strangers compared to the UK.

dbd33

I don't think Canadians claim "outdoor lifestyles", I think that's an immigrant thing. It seems to me that proper Canadians huddle indoors plotting their move to the US.

Novocastrian

Or to Norfolk. But I agree, outdoor winter lifestyles in Canada are for kids and other immature folk. Let's just face the muskox in the room. It's f***ing cold.

geedee

I have found taking vitamin D3 works very well.... I've not had the seasonal "heavy cold" since I've been here.... which is when I started to take vit D in the winter. Maybe it's that or maybe Canada has less germs....!!

iaink

Thats why you need to find something you enjoy doing in the winter. I find skiing when its warm incredibly tedious to be honest; It works much better when the snow doesnt melt.

Maybe Im just immature...

dbd33

I think that's pretty rare. People in Canada generally endure a miserable time for five months a year during their working lives and then, if they can afford it, spend the winters in America. Those who do find something enjoyable typically do it indoors, crochet, quilting and scrapbooking are very popular.

iaink

There are some that do, some that dont. There is no shortage of old timers hockey and the like going on, Curling, that sort of thing. Maybe cos you dont get out, you just assume no one else does? When I go out there are people of all ages out there too.

Then there are people who leave if they can too of course, it takes all sorts, but if you are going to prosper here then you need something to do over the winter, either inside or out.

dbd33

Well, no. I've prospered here. It seems to me now that a major reason for that is that, for most of my time here, I've had no interests in Canada. Like my colleagues and associates, I've been willing to work all the time because, for five months of the year, there's really nothing better to do. Television is hugely popular, of course, if you enjoy Survivor you'll likely want to go home and see that.

I don't think, btw, that curling, essentially lawn green bowling indoors, counts as "getting out".

Jingsamichty

Believe it or not, my comment wasn't a dig at Canadians (well, not really!) but it was a genuine observation that in winter, Canadians do seem to spend a lot of time indoors which may go some way to explaining the apparent higher incidence of flu.

Not wandering down blustery high streets or standing on freezing terraces or staggering across town on pub crawls obviously makes you sick.

dbd33

If they spent a lot of time outdoors they'd be frozen to death. Flu seems a good alternative.