Back-to-School Respiratory Illness in BC: How Avee Helps

VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 16, 2026 /CNW/ -- Back-to-school season in BC is associated with a recurring rise in respiratory illness and asthma-related health-care use, particularly among children. BCCDC surveillance has shown respiratory-related primary-care and emergency visits increasing through September. For many non-emergency needs, virtual physician care through Avee Health can offer families timely same-day access without unnecessary clinic or ER visits.

For families with school-age children, that rise can mean more than worrying about coughs, colds, asthma flare-ups or viral infections. A sick child can lead to missed classes, parents missing work, medical consultations, prescriptions or renewals, and requests for sick notes. When these needs surge together, they can add pressure to BC family practices, walk-in clinics, urgent care centres and emergency departments.

What do BC data show about respiratory illness in September?

The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) has documented increases in respiratory-related health-care use during September, shortly after students return to school.

In its October 3, 2024 respiratory surveillance report, BCCDC reported that the proportion of both primary-care and emergency department visits for respiratory illness was increasing in BC during September 22 to 28. The report also noted that enterovirus/rhinovirus activity was increasing in Canada, as expected for that time of year. Rhinoviruses are common causes of colds and can contribute to respiratory symptoms and asthma exacerbations.

The pattern appeared again the following year. BCCDC's October 2, 2025 respiratory virus report found that the proportions of both emergency department and primary-care visits for respiratory illness were slowly increasing across BC from August 31 through September 27, 2025. BCCDC described the pattern as comparable to the same period in the previous respiratory season.

These surveillance findings do not prove that returning to school causes every September illness. Viral circulation, closer contact, immunity, allergies, environmental conditions and existing respiratory diseases can all contribute. What the BC data do show is a recurring increase in respiratory-related health-care use during the back-to-school period.

What does Vancouver research show about September asthma?

The September respiratory pattern in British Columbia is not new. Researchers examined emergency department visits at nine acute-care hospitals serving the Vancouver region between 1984 and 1986.

The Vancouver asthma study indexed by PubMed found a distinct asthma peak in three consecutive years, beginning in the last week of September and continuing for about three weeks. During those September peaks, asthma-related emergency visits reached approximately 130 patients per week, compared with roughly 30 to 90 per week during the rest of the year.

The researchers also found that the asthma increase occurred before the autumn rise in some measured air pollutants, making pollution alone an unlikely explanation for the pattern. The study is historical, so it should not be treated as a measure of current Vancouver demand, but it demonstrates that a pronounced September asthma pattern has been observed in BC for decades.

What health-care needs can back-to-school illness create?

For families, a respiratory infection is often more than a cough or runny nose. Parents may need to decide whether symptoms require medical attention, whether a child can return to school, or whether a parent needs to stay home from work.

Common back-to-school health-care needs can include:

• Consulting a physician about cough, fever, sore throat, respiratory symptoms or other new health concerns
• Discussing asthma symptoms or flare-ups, particularly when symptoms change or worsen
• Getting a prescription or prescription renewal when medically appropriate
• Obtaining a doctor's note or sick note for school or work
• Requesting laboratory testing or a requisition when clinically appropriate
• Getting a referral when additional assessment by another health professional is required
• Reviewing medications or treatment options
• Determining whether symptoms can be managed at home or require an in-person assessment
• Getting medical advice for parents or other family members who develop symptoms after illness enters the household

Many of these situations require access to a physician, but they do not necessarily require a trip to an emergency department.

How can Avee Health help with back-to-school care?

For appropriate non-emergency medical concerns, virtual care can give families another way to access a physician without adding another trip to an already busy day.

Avee Health connects patients across British Columbia with BC-licensed physicians through virtual appointments. Avee's physician network includes more than 200 licensed physicians, and same-day appointments are available for many patients, depending on physician availability. Services include medical consultations, prescription renewals, doctor's notes, lab requisitions and specialist referrals.

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For a parent looking after a sick child, speaking with a physician from home can reduce travel, childcare arrangements, additional time away from work and time spent waiting for a walk-in appointment. If clinically appropriate, an Avee physician may also provide a prescription or renewal, medical documentation such as a sick note, a lab requisition or a referral. Prescribing and other medical decisions remain at the physician's clinical discretion.

How can families help reduce pressure on BC health care?

Emergency departments are essential when someone has a serious or potentially life-threatening medical problem. Virtual care is not a replacement for emergency medicine, and patients with severe or urgent symptoms should seek the appropriate urgent or emergency care.

But many coughs, colds, minor respiratory illnesses, prescription needs, doctor's notes and other routine primary-care concerns may be appropriate for virtual assessment. When suitable non-emergency concerns can be addressed virtually, families can save time while helping reduce avoidable demand on walk-in clinics and emergency departments.

This back-to-school season, choosing the right level of care for the right medical need can help families and BC's health-care system. If your concern can be appropriately addressed virtually, Avee Health can connect you with a BC-licensed physician, often on the same day, without spending your day in a waiting room.

SOURCE Avee Health

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