MORGANTOWN — Spring may be approaching, but flu season is far from over. WVU Medicine encourages everyone to continue taking precautions to stop the spread of the virus.
A typical flu season begins in October and peaks between December and February. This season, however, an early-December surge crowded emergency rooms across the country. West Virginia experienced its highest spike of flu-related emergency room visits in January, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Matthew Lokant, M.D., WVU Health System healthcare epidemiologist, said doctors at WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital have seen an increase in all respiratory infections since January, with flu, COVID and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) topping the list.
“Typically, we do see more hospitalizations and complications in our extremes of age, like very young children and our elderly adults,” Lokant said.
The CDC reported that all age groups have experienced more severe flu than usual this season, but Lokant said certain groups — including people who are immunocompromised or who have underlying chronic disease affecting the heart, lungs and kidneys — tend to be more vulnerable to complications.
Common flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches and extreme fatigue. Lokant said patients with the following “red flag” symptoms should seek medical care: trouble breathing, chest pain, persistent dizziness or confusion, severe weakness, or inability to stay hydrated. For pediatric patients, red flags include rapid breathing, bluish skin and extreme lethargy.
Those with the flu should hydrate, rest and treat individual symptoms while monitoring for complications. Antiviral medications like Tamiflu (oseltamivir) may help reduce the severity of the flu if taken within the first 48 hours.
To slow the spread, Lokant recommends staying home when sick (unless red flag symptoms are present), washing hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, covering a cough or sneeze, and avoiding close contact with others who are ill.
Lokant said it’s not too late to get a flu shot, which helps reduce the risk of getting the flu, prevents severe illness and protects vulnerable people who may not be able to get the vaccine.
“As long as they’re offering influenza vaccines, I typically recommend people still try to get one if they haven’t yet,” he said, adding that it takes approximately two weeks after receiving the vaccine to produce an effective immune response.
“Viruses and different kinds of pathogens are out in our environment, so we definitely want to make sure that we’re not introducing it to ourselves,” Lokant said. “If you’re not having any of those red flag symptoms, stay home while you’re sick, because you don’t want to be spreading this around to others. It’s more about making smart decisions.”
For more information about WVU Medicine, visit WVUMedicine.org.
