Flu season has hit early and it鈥檚 hitting hard.
Nearly 1,000 influenza cases have been reported in Pima County so far this season through Dec. 30 鈥 10 times more than the number of cases reported through Dec. 31 last year.
The number of flu cases normally peaks here and elsewhere between January and February.
蜜柚直播 is one of 21 states in the country reporting a high number of outpatient visits due to flu in the previous week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. And it鈥檚 one of 36 states where flu activity is considered geographically widespread.
鈥淭he 蜜柚直播 Medical Center emergency department is currently experiencing a 10 percent increase in patient volume over the previous year,鈥 said hospital spokesman Jim Marten, when asked about how flu cases were affecting the hospital.
People are also reading…
Statewide totals are up significantly as well. About 2,500 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported the week of Christmas, bringing the number by the end of 2017 to nearly 8,000, according to an 蜜柚直播 Department of Health Services report.
The number of reported cases represent a small proportion of the true number of cases of influenza. Many people do not visit the doctor when ill and doctors should not be expected to run tests on all patients exhibiting influenza-like symptoms, state health officials said.
Nationally, there have been 12 pediatric deaths from the flu. One was in Maricopa County, according to the report.
The numbers appear alarming because last year鈥檚 flu season arrived late, and this year鈥檚 is unusually early, said Aaron Pacheco, spokesman for the Pima County Health Department. But it鈥檚 hard to compare one flu season with another, he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a little too early to tell,鈥 what kind of flu season we鈥檙e going to have, he said.
The most important thing to remember for local residents, particularly if you are in a high-risk group such as aging adults or pregnant women, is that it鈥檚 not too late to get a flu shot, health officials stressed.
The CDC recommends that anyone over 6 months of age get a flu shot.
People who get a flu vaccine may still get sick, but the vaccine may help minimize the symptoms, and may also help people overcome the flu more quickly, Pacheco said.
One flu shot should last the whole season and typically takes about two weeks to become effective.
Stay home from work if you are sick and cover your mouth when you cough with your sleeve or a tissue.
鈥淒on鈥檛 touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean,鈥 said Brandie Anderson, director of infection prevention at Banner-University Medical Center. Wash your hands frequently, especially when you鈥檙e out in public using a grocery cart or gas pump, for example.
鈥淧atients experiencing flu symptoms should see a health provider, including primary care or urgent care, as soon as possible, because there is a prescription medicine that can reduce the duration and symptoms.鈥 Marten said. 鈥淧atients experiencing acute symptoms should seek treatment at the nearest emergency department.鈥
Contact Mikayla Mace at 573-4158 and Stephanie Innes at 573-4134.
