The respiratory illness season in the Yukon has gone from an unexpectedly early start to being more routine, says the territory’s medical officer of health.

Dr. Sudit Ranade spoke to the Star on Wednesday about the latest situation, which is shaping up on a better note than it started on.

“It looks like a more routine season so far,” he said during a telephone interview. “It’s very much what we would be expecting in a normal season.”

The lingering presence of COVID-19, of course, makes it something less than normal, but overall that seems to be good news for residents.

More people are coming down with the flu in recent weeks, as is typical, but COVID rates are fairly stable and the cases aren’t becoming more serious.

The per cent positivity rate on COVID tests is rising somewhat, Ranade said, but he’s not overly concerned.

“It’s important to know that it is still circulating,” Ranade added. “It hasn’t gone away, and it’s still a greater burden on (respiratory illness season) than other viruses.”

Most of that change and increase, he suggested, lies in the resumption of normal social behaviours and gatherings.

At the peak of the pandemic, people were staying away from each other and staying home, Ranade said. That minimization of contact was very helpful at reducing the spread of all the common respiratory viruses.

Now that socializing has become more acceptable again, the viruses are biting back, even if perhaps not to the extent that is traditional.

“The precautions we were taking have relaxed,” Ranade said.

Rates of the various viruses were coming down somewhat, he explained, before the holiday season, but have inevitably crept back up.

There is likely still some vaccine “fatigue” amongst the public, he said. Rates for influenza vaccinations aren’t quite where they should be, at around 23-24 per cent overall.

The COVID vaccinations rates vary more by age demographic, with the greatest uptakes of the latest innoculations ranging from a low of around 10 per cent in younger people to around 50 per cent in older residents.

Generally, the people who are at the greatest risk of the virus are getting the vaccine, Ranade said.

He said the public still hasn’t embraced the shift of the COVID vaccine from an emergency precaution to being an annual thing akin to the influenza shots.

His expectation is that is something that will eventually happen.

There have been no exceptional effects noticed on attendance at territorial schools as yet, Ranade said.

Again, what is being seen is rather routine, he said.

His advice to the public is to follow the basics.

Wash your hands, avoid people when you don’t feel well, eat a good diet, exercise, try to avoid stress and try to get some good sleep.

The report states COVID-19 test positivity increased compared to the previous two weeks, and was highest in the Whitehorse area.

Influenza A test positivity rose compared to the previous two weeks, and was highest in rural Yukon.

Influenza B test positivity remained the same compared to the previous two weeks, and was the same between rural Yukon and the Whitehorse area.

RSV test positivity decreased compared to the previous two weeks, and was relatively the same between rural Yukon and the Whitehorse area.

Both COVID-19 and influenza A were the organisms with the highest average test positivity over the last two weeks.

Testing volume was highest among Whitehorse residents over the last two weeks

Visits to community health centres for respiratory-related symptoms were similar compared to previous years.

Respiratory visits were highest in the West region. Visits to community health centres for respiratory-related symptoms are increasing in North, Southeast, and West regions and stable in the Central region.

“The rate of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Yukon is stable, and similar to previous years (but lower than 2021-2022). Hospitalization rates are decreasing, and similar to previous years.

“The rate of confirmed cases of Influenza A in the Yukon is increasing, and similar to previous years. Hospitalization rates are stable, and similar to previous years.”

“The rate of confirmed cases of Influenza B in the Yukon is stable, and similar to previous years. Hospitalization rates are stable, and similar to previous years.

“The rate of confirmed cases of RSV in Yukon is decreasing, and similar to previous years (but lower than 2021-2022).

“Hospitalization rates are increasing slightly, and similar to previous years. For COVID-19, influenza and RSV combined, case rates in rural Yukon are decreasing, and similar to previous years (but lower than 2021-2022). Hospitalization rates are increasing, and higher than previous years.”

Influenza vaccination coverage is at 23 per cent for the Yukon population this season. The highest coverage rate is in the 70-plus age group and among residents of Old Crow.

Overall, nine per cent of the Yukon population has had a bivalent COVID-19 vaccination as their most recent dose. The highest bivalent coverage is in the 70-plus age group.

Overall, 17 per cent of the Yukon population has had an XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccination as their most recent dose.

The highest XBB.1.5 coverage is in the 70+ age group.