In This Issue (3 min read):

The Cost of Flu & COVID-19 Hospitalization Reaches Far Beyond the Bill
A Swift Response to a Strained Healthcare System
Prevention Over Prescription
Your Naturopathic Rx

The Cost of Flu & COVID-19 Hospitalization In Canada Reaches Far Beyond the Bill

This fall has pushed our immune systems hard. As of late November 2025, Canada is seeing a rise in circulation of both influenza and COVID-19, with the flu leading the surge. Confirmed flu cases grew nearly 61% in November, jumping from 2,273 to 3,655 in just the final week of the month.

Hospital admissions due to COVID-19 have remained steady, but the financial burden of these illnesses is huge. A COVID-19 hospitalization in Canada averages $53,000. A confirmed flu hospitalization in Ontario costs roughly $14,000, depending on complexity and length of stay. These figures underestimate the true cost, because many flu cases never receive laboratory confirmation.

The personal toll is even heavier. Many patients leave the hospital with worse anxiety, depression, and even post-traumatic stress. Almost all lose muscle that they cannot afford to lose. This loss, known as sarcopenia, slows recovery, weakens stamina, and drags down metabolism. When you look at the human and economic burden side by side, the need for prevention becomes undeniable.

A Swift Response to a Strained Healthcare System

To ease the pressure, Canada is moving quickly to bring more physicians into the system. A new express entry pathway reserves 5,000 spots for internationally trained doctors and offers 14-day work-permit processing so qualified physicians can begin practicing almost immediately. The goal is clear: relieve emergency departments, shorten wait-lists, and fill clinic roles that have been sitting empty for far too long.

But this shift raises an important question: Is the solution simply more doctors, or is it time to place prevention at the center instead of relying on another prescription at the end?

Prevention Over Prescription

Once the true economic and personal costs of illness are understood, prevention stops looking optional and starts looking essential. Prevention is not a luxury. It is a strategy that changes outcomes.

Strengthening the immune system means creating conditions in the body that make illness less likely and recovery smoother when it does happen. The fundamentals are simple, yet their impact can be profound.

Sleep that is consistent. Even small improvements in sleep quality can meaningfully sharpen your defenses.
Steady blood sugar. High spikes in glucose temporarily suppress immune function. Balanced meals with protein, fiber, and healthy fats help keep levels stable.
Maintained muscle mass. Resistance training, even twice weekly, supports immunity, metabolism, and resilience against muscle loss that often follows illness.
Nervous system regulation. Chronic stress lowers immune response. Daily practices such as breathwork, time in nature, and appropriate boundaries with work make a measurable difference.
Correct Vitamin D deficiency. Low levels are linked with increased susceptibility to respiratory infections. Testing and correcting deficiencies is a straightforward win.
Avoid tobacco and limit alcohol. Both directly impair immune function and slow recovery.
Early action, not delayed reaction. At the first sign of something brewing, rest, hydration, and pacing can prevent a minor viral load from becoming a major setback.

These recommendations are so basic, they border on the mundane. And yet, they work and shift the odds in your favour. They keep people out of hospital beds, protects long-term health, and lightens the strain on a system that is already stretched thin.

Your Naturopathic Rx

This holiday season, choose three areas from the list above that you will commit to prioritizing. Focus on these small but powerful actions to strengthen your immune system and protect yourself through the season.

With care,