8 Cold and Flu Remedies for a Good Night's Sleep

It's The Flu Season, Too: How To Not Get Yourself Or Others Sick Over The Holidays

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Flu Infections In Southern Oregon Are The Highest In The State This Season

Health

By Roman Battaglia (Jefferson Public Radio)

Dec. 29, 2023 11:08 p.M.

FILE: A flu vaccine is readied at the L.A. Care and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plans' Community Resource Center in Lynwood, Calif., on Oct. 28, 2022. Health officials said flu and COVID-19 infections were expected to accelerate in late December, fueled by holiday travel and gatherings, low vaccination rates, and a new COVID variant that seems to spread more easily.

Mark J. Terrill / AP

According to the Oregon Health Authority, Southern Oregon is seeing the highest rates of positivity on influenza tests in the state, with the latest data showing a 12.3% positivity rate.

The flu virus can cause mild to severe symptoms that can sometimes even lead to death. Those younger than 5 or older than 65 are at an increased risk for severe illness.

Tanya Phillips from Jackson County Public Health said the flu test data comes from Oregon hospitals, not local doctors or urgent care clinics.

"So it's not telling us how many people actually have the flu," she said. "It is a data point that lets us know, 'Hey, flu is picking up here.'"

Phillips said they determine the flu is circulating widely when the test positivity rate is above 10% for two weeks in a row. The flu virus typically circulates during the fall and winter, with peaks between December and February.

"In years prior Southern Oregon was hit with the flu first," said Phillips. "The rest of the state really wasn't seeing what we were seeing or experiencing and then as the weeks went, then other areas of the state caught up and then we started to see that decrease."

Phillips said people should also get vaccinated for the flu if they haven't already. She said vaccination rates are lower than health officials would hope for. Even if someone does get sick, getting vaccinated can help prevent serious illness.

Residents should look for warning signs the sickness is getting worse, such as severe muscle pain, seizures or a fever that won't go away.

Those at an increased risk of severe illness should also talk to their doctor about antiviral drugs, which can mean the difference between a mild illness and a trip to the emergency room.

Flu Surge In SC Leads Columbia Hospitals To Restrict Visitors, Call For Precautions

The flu is hitting South Carolina hard this holiday season, and doctors are reacting by asking for the public's help in keeping the sickest people safe.

The Prisma Health hospital system announced new restrictions on its Columbia-area hospitals this week. Starting Wednesday, Prisma Health hospitals are restricting children under the age of 16 from visiting in order to halt the spread of a virulent strain of influenza sweeping the state, the health system announced. Hospital visitors are also encouraged to wear masks for the time being.

The state Department of Health and Environmental Control reported last week that through Dec. 16, just more than 19,000 cases of influenza had been confirmed in South Carolina for the current season. More than 1,100 people had been hospitalized during the current flu season and 12 people had died.

Dr. Helmut Albrecht told reporters at a news conference Wednesday that South Carolina has seen a surge in Influenza A, the most common virus to spring up during the winter months. Hospitals are also seeing a smaller surge in the seasonal Influenza B variant, said Albrecht, an infectious disease specialist. While COVID-19 and RSV are not seeing as high a surge right now, they add up to a strain on hospital resources.

Albrecht said up to 20% of patients currently in Prisma Health hospitals have been admitted with Influenza A. "About a fifth to a sixth of visits are driven by influenza-like illnesses," he said. "It's a significant burden in our communities."

While the "vast majority" of flu cases don't require hospitalization, Albrecht said the rates of hospitalization and death from flu-like diseases right now is "disturbing." Precautions are needed to prevent patients admitted for other reasons from catching the flu during their hospital stay, and to stop the virus spreading among hospital staff, he said. Thousands of people nationwide will likely die from the flu this year, Albrecht said.

"Right now the ER is not a safe space for visitors, especially children, and we don't want more influenza coming into our hospital," he said.

Prisma Health runs several hospitals in the Columbia area, including Prisma Health Richland, Prisma Health Baptist and Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge.

Albrecht said people can still receive this year's vaccines for flu, COVID and RSV, and may also consider wearing a mask when they are around large groups of people. "It's not a sign of weakness or a political stance," he said of face masks. "It's a sign you want to help out yourself or somebody else."

He said parents should not bring children into the hospital with flu-like symptoms unless their breathing becomes impaired. "If you can keep the dehydration low, if they can take oral (food and medicine) and you can manage the fever, cough, and other symptoms, most parents know how to do that."

The State reached out to Lexington Medical Center about any similar flu cases in their hospital, but had not received a response before publication.

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