‘STROKE SEASON’: CBC doctor says increased cases of stroke likely linked to the flu

Bhardwaj said to CBC's Rob Brown, "I didn't know about this either until last year, but It turns out that after flu season, about three or four weeks later, there is a stroke season. And like you said, most of Canada is getting down off of a big hump of flu."

"So now we're starting to see more strokes and a friend of one of my colleagues actually mentioned that at work the other day, 'So if you noticed how many strokes we're seeing, it's a lot more than usual it feels like?'" Bhardwaj added. "So anecdotally, we're starting to see that."

Bhardwaj, who also works as a Clinical Assistant Professor with the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Calgary,

Influenza is a communicable disease, like Covid, herpes, and chickenpox among many others. They are illnesses that spread from person to person through a variety of methods.

The rise and fall of communicable diseases to seasons is informed by factors such as people cohabitating indoors during winter and environmental factors affecting immunology.

A stroke "stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients."

A stroke is a neurological condition marked by an event, similar to a heart attack, and is usually caused by a combination of factors and catalysts including a person's diet, genetic history, and personal habits, such as smoking.

On January 13, the CDC announced an investigation into whether the Bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine increases the risk of ischemic strokes in people aged 65 or older.

Last year, the Mayo clinic published an article titled "Mayo Clinic Minute: Flu vaccine may reduce risk of stroke." Any disease such as Covid or the flu that affects the respiratory system could have correlations to stroke as the event is brought on by lack of oxygen to the brain. The article said that the vaccine reduced stroke risk by reducing risk of contracting the flu.

Viva Frei tweeted, "Holy shiat… 'I never knew there was a stroke season after flu season, until my bosses & big Pharma told me there is a stroke season after flu season'. So am I now allowed asking if people collapsing on air is a stroke? It’s the season, after all, right?"

On January 8, CTV Edmonton reporter Jessica Robb suddenly suffered a medical episode that saw her collapse live on air as the camera cut away.

Bhardwaj also appeared on CBC's Yukon Morning to say, "according to stroke specialists after flu season, there's sort of a stroke season that follows flu season by about three or four weeks. And most of Canada is coming down from a peak of influenza cases. So we're entering stroke season where we expect to see a rise in stroke cases. And anecdotally, that's what one of my colleagues noticed."

"This 'medical expert' and @cbc contributor *never* knew about the stroke season that follows the flu season… Until last year. What a coincidence," Frei added.