Flu cases still being reported late in the season

(WSAZ)
Published: Apr. 18, 2019 at 6:45 PM EDT
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Don't let the warmer weather fool you -- we aren't finished with flu season yet.

Several cases have been reported in our region recently.

Doctors in our region say they haven't seen a lot of influenza A lately, but they have seen several cases of influenza B.

Although we are late in the flu season, doctors say it typically lasts until May so you still need to take precautions to protect your family.

However, they are warning that if you haven't gotten the flu shot already, it may be too late for this season since it takes two weeks to kick in.

But doctors say overall, this has been a mild flu season.

"I think we can certainly say the vaccine worked better this year than the year before," said Dr. Thomas Ruston, an Infectious Diseases Specialist with St. Mary's Medical Center. "We had a much milder winter, at least here in Huntington. Other parts of the country, with that arctic blast, there was a lot of dry, cold air which is going to be a much bigger problem. But I think in general, it wasn't quite as bad a year as we expected it to be."

The Centers for Disease Control says several parts of the country are still experiencing elevated and widespread flu activity.

Dr. Rushton says you especially need to keep an eye on children and make sure they are washing their hands.

"We love our children but they really are walking petri-dishes," said Dr. Rushton. "So we need to make sure we are getting their hands under water with soap."

Dr. Rushton says the region saw a lot of flu cases in March but warns that we may still see a big burst of cases right at the end of the season.

"We are still going to be seeing sort of that bomb-burst, which we saw about six to eight weeks ago, and there will certainly still be a few more cases."

According to the Centers for Disease Control, flu activity is expected to remain elevated for one or two more weeks, but sporadic flu activity will still occur after that.

Dr. Rushton says St. Mary's is already working to get vaccines for next year and urges everyone to get vaccinated next season.

Doctors say everyone should still take precautions to keep the flu from spreading, including washing your hands regularly, staying home when you are sick and if you do get sick, make sure you see your doctor.