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Calgary has likely made it through the worst of the flu season, according to the city’s medical officer of health.

It was an atypical season, though, according to Dr. Jia Hu, who said the most prevalent strain has been one that has a greater impact on children.

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“There’s been a lot more influenza B this year than past seasons, which is quite unusual,” Hu said. “Flu B is known to affect more children that flu A.”

Fifty-five per cent of the 4,198 laboratory confirmed flu cases in Alberta this season were flu B, according to data from Alberta Health Services current to Jan. 18. In the 2018–19 flu season, only about two per cent of flu cases were flu B.

Hu says the province expects we’ve seen the worst of this year’s flu season, but adds that the virus often persists through the winter.

“I do believe that we’ve probably had the peak of this season. Our modelling suggests that is the case, but we can always have a second case later in the spring,” he said.