Flu season has arrived in Larimer County.
Since Sept. 30, 21 county residents have been hospitalized due to influenza, with most hospitalizations happening in the past two weeks, Larimer County health officials reported Friday.
While this year’s flu season is not as severe as last year’s record-breaking winter, during which 4,650 Colorado residents went to the hospital for flu treatment, the state has been flagged as one of nine that experienced a high level of flu activity during the week of Dec. 22, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Statewide, 596 people have been hospitalized with the flu since Dec. 29.
Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, fatigue and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea, according to the CDC, which emphasized that not everyone with flu will have a fever.
Joan Ivaska, senior director for infection prevention for Banner Health, said that while Colorado’s flu season started off slowly and lightly, it is too soon to say that this year’s season will be less severe than last year’s. Now that flu activity is rising, health professionals will be carefully watching its progress.
There are many types of flu: Last year’s outbreak involved a greater percentage of H3N2 influenza, which made it “a little more challenging,” Ivaska said.
This year, the vast majority of viruses tested have been revealed to be H1N1 (also known as swine flu, due to its origination in pigs). However, both types of influenza are circulating in the United States, Ivaska said.
Both H3N2 and H1N1 are subtypes of the Influenza A virus; there is also Influenza B, which tends to show up later in the season, usually around February, Ivaska said.
No matter the type, respiratory secretions such as phlegm from coughing or sneezing spread them all. That’s why Ivaska recommends that everyone get vaccinated for the flu, as a vaccination can reduce a person’s risk for contracting the disease or the duration of the sickness if they do catch it.
Even now, it is not too late to get vaccinated. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment recommends that anyone older than 6 months get a flu shot.
Once you get the shot, it takes two weeks to develop immunity, so don’t wait, Ivaska said.
In addition, it is a good idea to use usual respiratory etiquette such as covering your cough with your elbow and washing your hands. Ivaska recommends singing “Happy Birthday” or the ABCs to ensure that you wash for the recommended 20 seconds.
People should make sure to wash between their fingers and around their nail beds, as these are potential germ-carrying areas that often are overlooked, Ivaska said.
If you or your children have symptoms of flu, stay home to avoid exposing others, she said.
While most cases of the flu will clear up in a few days to less than two weeks, some people can develop complications such as pneumonia or sinus infections. Some complications from the flu can be life-threatening or make chronic medical problems worse, the CDC says.
To find flu vaccines at retail outlets, visit vaccinefinder.org. To find a doctor, including those who accept Medicaid, go to www.colorado.gov/pacific/hcpf/find-doctor.
Those who need help paying for a flu vaccine in Larimer County should contact the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment, 1525 Blue Spruce Drive in Fort Collins or 970-498-6700.
Julia Rentsch: 970-699-5404, jrentsch@reporter-herald.com.
