Flu season in full swing, classified as “widespread”

Texas joined 35 other states with a classification of “widespread” influenza outbreak this year, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, which was generated by epidemiologists for flu week 51, which ended Dec. 20.

Fifteen children (including two in Texas) have died from influenza or pneumonia since Oct. 1, reaching the “epidemic threshold” used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When 6.8 percent of pediatric deaths are from these causes, it is classified as an epidemic by the CDC.

“We’re an acute care walk in clinic, and I would say 35-40 percent of patients over the past 7-10 days have had the flu or flu-like symptoms,” said Dr. Chad Gray, MD, medical director of the Baylor Scott & White extended hours clinic in Marble Falls. He added “this is on par with my experiences over the past few flu seasons.”

It seems the flu is peaking earlier this year. The historical peak has been in January and February, according to Flu.gov, a service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

“From my perspective in this region, we’re at the height of the flu season,” Gray said.

“Over the past week we’ve seen an increase in flu and flu-like related clinic visits and I anticipate this to continue for the next few weeks.”

Gray said his clinic started seeing many patients with flu-like symptoms starting in mid-December, and has continued to increase since. He said this December is comparable to this time last year, but “the onset has been more focused in a shorter time span this year compared to last year.”

One additional issue is the flu vaccine is not as on target as previous years because the virus has “drifted,” according to CDC data.

Gray estimated that around 10 percent of patients treated for the flu this year had the vaccine.

Although as many as 52 percent of virus samples this year are unlike last year, indicating mutations, “vaccination has been found to provide some protection against drifted viruses and is still recommended,” Gray said. Even if a patient contracts a mutated form of the virus, it can lessen the effects and prevent hospitalization and death.

The vaccine is recommended for all people over 6 months old.

Even though it has been disproven that the flu vaccine can cause the flu, rumors persist. The vaccine is made several ways: with inactive viruses that are not infectious (the flu shot), with weakened viruses (the nasal spray). The most recent method, using recombinant technology, uses a “naturally-occurring wild type” of the virus, “which induces an immune response in people,” according to the CDC.

“The most common side effects from the influenza shot are soreness, redness, tenderness or swelling where the shot was given, as well as low-grade fever, headache and muscle aches,” Gray said.

“I would like to encourage patients to practice good flu prevention precautions,” Gray said. He recommended infection control measures:

Wash hands thoroughly and frequently, using soap and water.

Cover mouth when coughing or sneezing, and throwing away dirty tissues immediately.

Sneezing or coughing into the sleeve of your clothing (at the inner elbow) is another means of containing sprays of saliva and secretions and will not contaminate your hands.

Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth because germs spread this way.

Avoid close contact with sick people.

If sick with a flu–like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone, except to get medical care or for other necessities. Fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.

While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.

Additionally, the CDC recommends “antiviral treatment,” with medications like Tamiflu or Relenza, “as early as possible.”