Flu outbreak could peak again in coming weeks
This season the flu is hitting people hard and experts are saying this is the worst flu season in nearly a decade. Local emergency rooms and urgent care offices are full of people looking for help.
“It’s busy we have been seeing record numbers probably 10-15 percent over our normal volume,” said Dr. Euthym Kontaxis with Eisenhower Health.
Seasonal influenza cause emergency medical services and hospital surges
Kontaxis said he is seeing the brunt of this powerful flu season and it is far from over.
“We had an early peak and sometimes we have a dual peak. You will have a peak around Christmas, which we had this year, and you might see another peak in a little bit, like a few more weeks,” Kontaxis said.
‘Many more weeks’ to come in fierce, deadly flu season, CDC says
According to the California Department of Public Heath, 32 adults under the age of 65 have died from the flu this year in southern California. Our station has confirmed one those deaths was here in the Coachella Valley.
Kontaxis said it’s hard to determine if flu is a cause of death, because it usually only kills the very young, very old or people who already have another ailment.
“Underlying immune-compromising states such as cancer or chemotherapy or underlying lung disease or heart disease. Those are the kinds of things that can have the flu tip them over the edge,” Kontaxis said.
How to defend yourself against the flu
It could take several days to a week after a death for the California Department of Public Heath to determine if a death was in fact caused by the flu.
Kontaxis says those that are healthy shouldn’t worry about dying from the disease if they get this strain of the flu.
“When there is illness to sensationalize it is unfair and accurate reporting is very important for public safety and public good,” Kontaxis said.
This season’s strain is resilient and the vaccine is only 40 percent effective, but Kontaxis said it’s still the best weapon to keep you from getting sick.
“If I give you a 40 percent chance of not getting the flu or 60 percent of getting the flu and there is no side effect from getting the shot, why don’t you get the shot?”
With so many coming down with the flu, people have told the KESQ and CBS Local 2 newsroom that drug stores are in short supply of the prescription Tamiflu and of flu shots. But KESQ reporter Joe Galli contacted more than a dozen pharmacies in the Valley and they confirmed that they all had flu shots ready to go and had Tamiflu or the generic equivalent ready to fill people’s prescriptions.
The best ways to avoid getting sick are to avoid exposure. Keep away from large crowds of people that could spread the flu. You should also wash your hands regularly.
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Noticias en español: Telemundo 15
