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A second wave of COVID-19 infections in the winter could be worse than what’s currently happening in Canada, research from the country’s Public Health Agency suggests.

The country’s last major pandemic — the H1N1 virus in 2009 — saw 40,185 infections, with 8,678 people hospitalized and 428 deaths, Blacklock’s Reporter reports.

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The beginning of the H1N1 pandemic mirrors that of COVID-19 and went on for ten months with a vaccine available.

There is is no COVID-19 vaccine.

“We’re trying to buy time,” said Dr. Howard Njoo, deputy chief public health officer.

“We’re planning for all potential scenarios. We’re in it for the long haul. It’s not going to be days and weeks, it’s definitely months — many months.”

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The 2010 report, entitled Lessons Learned Review: Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada Response to the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic, says the first Canadian cases were confirmed on April 26 of that year and by mid-June the first wave of infections had peaked.

The report says on Aug. 30, a second pandemic wave began which “resulted in four to five times more hospitalizations and deaths compared with the first wave,” and by November the second wave peaked.

The Public Health Agency declared the H1N1 pandemic ended by Jan. 27, 2010.