Manitoba health officials warning of challenging cold and flu season

As the fourth wave of COVID-19 officially hits Manitoba, public health officials are warning of a challenging cold and flu season.

As the fourth wave of COVID-19 officially hits Manitoba, public health officials are warning of a challenging cold and flu season.

According to Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer, staying home when sick is an important tool -- especially now as respiratory illness season is here.

"As we continue our interactions, we're very likely to see a resurgence of other typical respiratory pathogens," he said at a news conference on Monday.

Roussin said rhinovirus, which causes the common cold, is circulating right now in Manitoba, noting other viruses that could show up are influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Medical microbiologist Dr. Philippe Lagacé -Wiens said the age group of concern for RSV is children under two

"We're now dealing with the situation where it’s been two years since we've seen RSV,” Lagacé-Wiens said.

“So you've got this whole group of kids that are under two years of age that are typically most susceptible to this virus who have never seen it."