WILMINGTON — This year’s flu season is off to an earlier-than-usual start, and the Cape Fear region is seeing high numbers of cases.
According to Carolyn Fisher, director of marketing and public relations for New Hanover Regional Medical Center, “We are seeing the same widespread distribution of flu that the rest of the state is now seeing. It is an earlier start to the flu season than usual.”
In recent years, influenza cases have peaked in late February into March, according to records maintained by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. This year’s flu cases were more prevalent earlier in the season than in previous years, with higher rates in November and December.
In southeast Virginia, flu cases were severe enough that several large healthcare providers, including Sentara Healthcare, Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, and Bon Secours, asked the public to wear face masks when visiting doctors offices and hospitals.
Fisher stressed that although the flu season has apparently started in earnest, “it is not too late to receive a flu shot to help prevent or mitigate symptoms of flu.”
You have the flu, now what?
If you do contract influenza, what should you do — try to sleep it off, or head to the hospital?
For most people, the best bet is rest and plenty of fluids. However, some flu cases are too severe to “sleep off,” especially for high-risk groups like young children, seniors over 65, pregnant women, or patients with medical conditions like diabetes.
Look for the following “emergency warning signs” to spot a flu case you shouldn’t ignore. If you have these signs, you should seek medical attention.
In infants and children:
- Trouble breathing
- Bluish skin
- Dehydration
- Inactivity and drowsiness
- Not wanting to be touched
- Fever and rash
- Crying without tears
- Diapers that are drier than usual
- Flu symptoms that seem to get better, and then return with fever and cough
In adults:
- Trouble breathing and/or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in upper body
- Dizziness and confusion
- Continual vomiting
- Flu symptoms that seem to get better, and then return with fever and cough
