Clark County is being hit hard by the seasonal flu, and local hospitals are feeling the impact.
“This flu season began earlier than typical and is showing signs of being one of the worst since H1N1 back in 2008-09,” Catherine Kroll, infection preventionist at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, said in a news release.
Local flu activity briefly spiked in early November. Then, in mid-December, flu numbers started climbing again.
For the week of Dec. 25 to 31, the most recent data available, 38 percent of flu tests in Clark County were coming back positive. A positivity rate of more than 10 percent indicates flu transmission is occurring in the community.
At PeaceHealth Southwest, the number of patients arriving with flu-like symptoms is increasing every day.
“The volume of patients has put the medical center at capacity,” Kroll said in the news release. “And we are taking measures to ensure there will be no interruption to patient care.”
Hospital and county health officials are urging people to contact their primary care providers before heading to the hospital in order to reduce overcrowding and help prevent the spread of flu to others.
“Most people who have the flu will be very uncomfortable but do not need to go to an emergency department,” said Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County Public Health director and county health officer.
Typical flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, fatigue and headaches.
In most cases, people with flu-like symptoms can care for themselves at home by getting plenty of rest, staying hydrated and taking medication to relieve pain.
People experiencing certain other symptoms, however, should seek medical care at the emergency room. Those symptoms include confusion or if they can’t be woken up, difficulty breathing, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, blue lips or skin rash, and an inability to drink or keep liquids down. In addition, children experiencing excessive irritability or infants younger than 3 months with a fever should also seek care at an emergency room.
Even though the flu is circulating, health officials are reminding people that it’s not too late to get a flu shot. Anyone 6 months or older who has not yet received a flu shot should get one as soon as possible, as the vaccine takes two weeks to build up full protection.
Additional steps people can take to avoid catching and spreading flu include frequent handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when sick.
