March 28, 2024

Flu spreads statewide, officials recommend getting vaccines

There’s always something about winter — if it’s not the frigid cold weather, it’s the dreaded flu season.

And, this flu season seems to be rearing its ugly head.

“I think the potential is there for every season,” said Sandy Eddy, Clarke County Public Health director, RN. “People who have the vaccines get the benefit.”

According to an Iowa statewide activity summary on the flu from Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), influenza activity in Iowa continues to increase. The state’s activity level was recently reported as widespread.

For the most recent reporting week, the State Hygienic Laboratory detected 96 flu A(H3N2), four flu B(Yamagata lineage) and three flu A(pending subtype) cases.

Thirty schools reported 10 percent or greater absenteeism because of illness (most schools reported both respiratory and enteric illnesses) and seven long-term care outbreaks were investigated.

For the reporting week, 130 influenza-associated hospitalizations were reported from sentinel hospitals.

In addition, 11 cases of adenovirus, three cases of parainfluenza virus type 2, one case of parainfluenza virus type 3, one case of parainfluenza virus type 4, five cases of RSV, four cases of hMPV and 37 cases of rhinovirus/enterovirus were reported to IDPH.

Get vaccinated

Eddy said one of the issues with this flu season is officials are seeing similar strains of flu develop. She said local pharmacies have given out flu shots.

Clarke County Public Health continues the fight against the flu.

“Even though we’ve given a good number of vaccines, we still have vaccines available,” Eddy said.

The flu vaccine for adults and children at Clarke County Public Health is available by appointment while supplies still remain. The contact number is 641-342-3724.

According to the IDPH, based upon the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) national estimates, an average of 300,000 Iowans get the flu every year and together, flu and its complication of pneumonia cause an average of 1,000 deaths yearly in Iowa.

According to a KCCI News Channel 8 report, a three-year-old Elk Horn girl died in late December after she stared showing “flu-like” symptoms.

A Jan. 2 WHO 13 news report stated a 14-year-old Redfield girl recently died from pneumonia and sepsis, which are complications from Influenza A. The report said the complications were “an almost identical situation” to the young Elk Horn girl.

Young children and the elderly can be more susceptible to the flu virus.

What to look for

If a person is starting to feel sick this winter, the symptoms of the flu are fever, headache, tiredness, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion and body aches. The illness normally lasts two to seven days.

However, the flu shouldn’t be confused with the “stomach bug,” which main symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea. The stomach bug is associated with the norovirus, not influenza, which is a respiratory illness.

When it comes to protection against the flu virus, the best line of defense is the vaccine. However, the most common daily thing to remember are the “3Cs,” which are covering coughs and sneezes, cleaning hands frequently and containing germs by staying home when ill.

“If you have flu symptoms, help out your family, friends and co-workers by staying home to avoid spreading the virus,” Eddy said.