As Experts Warned, A Severe Flu Season Is Arriving Early. Heres What It Mean In Hampton Roads.

According to the Virginia Department of Health, the percentage of doctor visits for flu-like illnesses this year is three times higher than last year.

"We are seeing alarming signs that this year's flu season could be worse than in recent years," the doctor said. Lisa Tanyan from the Ministry of Health.

Overall, about 2 percent of visits to emergency departments and emergency clinics this year were related to flu-like illness, and the number is now close to 7 percent, a number not seen in five years through the end of December. to the information. Since five years ago.

Based on data for the week ended Oct. 29, the number of flu-like illnesses in Virginia ranked 10th out of 13, according to a report released Thursday. Countries use different dates to determine the severity of the flu, Tanjan said.

During the 2019 and 2021 flu season, there were similar cases of flu-like illness in emergency rooms and emergency departments, but both symptoms emerged nine weeks later that year, according to the VDH. According to Tanjan, the flu is an unpredictable disease. In the 2010s, the CDC estimated that influenza caused 12,000 to 52,000 deaths and 140,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations each year.

This year's situation has been exacerbated by the simultaneous onset of the influenza season, the resurgence of RSV, the reduction in previous years' Covid-19 precautions and the ongoing nature of Covid-19. All this simultaneously affects school attendance and contributes to long queues in the hospital.

Putri Raja Children's Hospital is seeing a sharp increase in patients with respiratory infections in all facilities, the doctor said. Chief Medical Officer Christopher Foley in a public video on Thursday. When the hospital's emergency room opened in Newport News on Thursday, about 30 people lined up.

“These patients are often sick. In many cases they can be treated at home, they can be treated with fluids, rest, acetaminophen," Foley says in the video. “If your child is having trouble breathing, is blue or grey, stops breathing, has an abnormally high temperature, is not drinking or eating, it is very difficult. Vigilance is more important. Call your pediatrician or call 9-1-. 1 when they turn blue. .

He said they are seeing cases of influenza, RSV, Covid-19 and the common cold virus and asked families to wait patiently as the facility is prioritizing the sickest people.

Schools have contacted parents or sent out newsletters such as Virginia Beach City Public Schools or automated calls from Hampton City Schools to remind parents to stay home with sick children and get the flu shot, cough etiquette and good hand washing. .

"We are seeing a lot of absenteeism and sickness, mainly due to respiratory problems," VBCPS spokeswoman Julie Briley said.

According to WRIC, a Christian school in Richmond closed its high school for two days this week due to overcrowding to prevent flu-like illness and offer online classes.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu-like illness trend is increasing not only in Virginia, but also in the southern and southern mid-Atlantic states and the north, west, and west coasts.

The CDC uses a scale of 1 to 13 to rate the level of influenza activity in a country. Along with North Carolina, Maryland, New York and Texas, Virginia ranks 11th. Last week saw the first child death from the flu this season.

CDC and Tanzania recommend flu vaccine With southern hemisphere flu season upon us, Chile is seeing unusual cases of influenza, the most common type of influenza in Chile. United States, according to the CDC's Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report, October 28. Experts are seeing signs in Australia that the US flu season has started earlier and is worse than in previous years.

"Your last flu season started earlier than the previous outbreak, which we think is a good thing," he said.

Ian Munro, ian.munro@virginiamedia.com

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CDC director warns of 'difficult' flu season as cases continue to rise