Severe flu season is headed to area

Palomar Health officials said they are seeing an uptick in flu cases at Pomerado Hospital and Palomar Medical Center’s emergency rooms, an indication that the nation’s flu epidemic is nearing the area.

“We’ve seen an increase in the numbers going to the ER, but as far as admissions, some patients have been admitted with flu and pneumonia, but probably not as increased as we’ve seen for the impact to the ER,” said Registered Nurse Valerie Martinez, Palomar Health’s director of quality and infection control.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu’s severity is similar to previous seasons when Influenza A (H3N2) was the predominant virus. When that has happened, young children and the elderly were among the hardest hit, compared to seasons when H1N1 was the predominant virus.

Complicating the matter is that the strain of H3N2 going around has changed from that included in the 2014-15 flu season vaccine, which is contributing to the illness becoming an epidemic. The vaccine was developed in early 2014 based upon what strains health officials predicted would be dominant based upon data and trends.

Despite the Influenza A mismatch, health experts are still advising people get a flu shot because it will provide protection against the two other prevalent strains (Influenza B and H1N1) plus it could help lessen symptoms of those who catch Influenza A.

“The best defense is to get a flu vaccine,” Martinez said. “We’ve seen 50 percent effectiveness of the vaccine, so people really should get it.”

Martinez said people can get the flu shot up to the end of flu season, which officially started Oct. 1 and continues through March 31.

“It doesn’t mean we don’t see flu in the other six months, but the numbers are not as big,” she said.

While almost anyone over 6 months can get the flu vaccine, officials have said it is especially important for those at high risk of developing serious complications. These include those with chronic medical conditions like asthma, diabetes and lung disease; pregnant women; those 65 and older; and those who live with or care for others at a higher risk.

Getting the flu shot does not mean immediate immunity. That typically takes two weeks, according to experts. Martinez said now that people have returned to work and school after the holidays there will likely be more cases since more people are in close proximity.

“We really stress respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette,” Martinez said. “Cover your cough with your sleeve ... and use a tissue. That is why good hand washing is so important.”

She said people also need to stay home when sick, to decrease the likelihood of spreading their illness.

“Flu is contagious 24 to 48 hours before one shows symptoms, so you can transmit it before having the sniffles, cough, body ache and low-grade temperature,” Martinez said. “Influenza is spread through droplets, when talking, singing, coughing or sneezing. You may not think about (one sneeze) too much, but you’re releasing droplets into the air.”

She said those droplets typically fall to the ground or other surface — such as a desk, computer keyboard and phone — after projecting forward about 3 feet. So when one touches something within that 3-foot droplet space, they can get the virus — that can live up to a day on a surface — on their hands.

“When you do not practice hand hygiene (such as adequate washing or using hand sanitizer) and then shake hands, that is how (the flu virus) is spread,” Martinez said. The virus enters the body when a contaminated hand touches one’s mouth, nose or eyes.

Martinez said during flu season or when other illnesses are present, it is best to frequently use disinfectant wipes to clean off high touch areas, like phones, doorknobs and light switches.

As of Dec. 27 (the most recent statistics available as of press time), California was still “low” for influenza-like illness (ILI) among those treated as outpatients, one of five states with that designation. Nationally, the proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness was 5.9 percent, above the national baseline of 2.0 percent, according to the CDC website. There were 29 states plus Puerto Rico with high ILI activity and six states plus New York City with moderate ILI activity.

Geographically, influenza was deemed “widespread” in 43 states. California was not one of them. It still has “regional” influenza activity.

According to San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency officials, for the week ending on Dec. 27 countywide the emergency department visits for influenza-like illnesses were at 9 percent, up from 3 percent the previous week. Lab-confirmed influenza cases for the week were at 213 — up from 127 the previous week — and total lab-confirmed influenza cases for the season were 607, almost double the 359 cases at the same point during the 2013-14 flu season.

While people can be very ill during the flu, Martinez said they typically are not hospitalized for flu. Instead, hospitalizations are due to a flu complication, such as developing pneumonia or having a compromised immunization system. “The flu does not put you in the hospital, but the flu can cause (a hospitalization),” she said.

For those who get the flu, they typically come down with it once per season, but it is possible to get the flu more than once since there are hundreds of strains going around, Martinez said.

If diagnosed early in the illness, Martinez said prescription antiviral drugs — such as Tamiflu — do not cure the illness, but help lessen symptoms.