You might have to quarantine relatives this Christmas, and not for their political remarks.
Clark County and the state of Washington are pretty sick. According to Clark County Public Health’s weekly influenza report, the county recorded 38.4 percent flu positivity for Dec. 8 through Dec. 14. The previous week’s positivity was at 32.3 percent.
Cowlitz County tracked just under 24 percent positivity for Dec. 8 through 14, and Washington had just more than 15 percent positivity for Dec. 1 through 7, the latest data available. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported national flu positivity at 11.3 percent.
“Flu season is a busy time,” said Andrew Root, the medical director for infection prevention for PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center.
Disha Gandara, an infection prevention manager with PeaceHealth, said there isn’t a surefire explanation for why Washington and Clark County are so sick with the flu. It could just be that the peak of the season has arrived earlier this year. The positivity rate is closely mimicking the same trends as 2016-17 and 2017-18, according to Public Health data, so while the season is stronger earlier than usual, it’s not out of the ordinary at this point.
Reporting from the Seattle Times showed that 3.2 percent of doctor visits nationwide were for flulike illnesses the first week of December, according to CDC statistics. The national baseline for the previous three flu seasons is 2.4 percent.
In Washington, 4.4 percent of doctor visits were from people with flulike illnesses. Nebraska, Puerto Rico and the Southeast all have particularly high flu positivity, according to The Associated Press.
Eighty-nine percent of Clark County’s flu strains are influenza B, and the rest are influenza A, which is slightly unusual, Gandara said, as B is typically seen later in flu season. Root added that this irregularity doesn’t change any recommendations for flu prevention, vaccination or treatment.
Root said it’s important to stay home if you get the flu so you don’t infect others. Early in the season, it can be difficult to predict the effectiveness of the flu shot, but Root said it’s still the best way to protect yourself and others.
Root said there is some skepticism around the flu vaccine, just as there is with the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine — and that’s because of misinformation spread online or through word of mouth. Root said it’s important to speak with medical professionals or consult the CDC if you have concerns about the flu shot.
“Vaccination is certainly the most important thing to protect the individual and the community,” he said.
