Doctors say this year’s flu season is already very deadly and it isn’t even near the peak yet.
SAN ANTONIO — A nasty flu season is well underway across the U.S. with numbers surging as the holiday travel season comes to an end. But it isn’t too late to keep yourself safe from this year’s bug that has a very bad bite.
The CDC’s latest flu report shows activity being at “high” or “very high” in 32 states for the week ending December 20. That is up from just 17 the week before, with more than seven million getting sick since the season began in October.
“What’s not normal is how fast this one’s moving. Hospitalization nearly has doubled in a single week. that tells us, you know, it’s not leveling off yet. It’s accelerating.” said Paul Fulford, a healthy living and anti-aging expert with Lutronic, who also has a podcast called Optimize Outcomes.
So if we haven’t hit the peak yet, when do we?
“Most models suggest we don’t even really peak until late January, maybe even February,” said Fulford. “So this isn’t panic worthy but it is a season where you want to be intentional instead of casual.”
Dr. Jason Bowling, an infectious disease specialist with University Health added, “If you have chronic medical conditions, you should talk to your doctor. Because if you do develop severe symptoms, you may be a candidate for getting one of those antivirals that could help you from getting even sicker.”
To best prevent the flu, doctors say start by knowing how the flu is spread in the air or on surfaces, know the symptoms of the flu like all of the ones you see here, clean hands and surfaces around you to prevent the spread, and stay home when you are sick.
For kids, that means staying home from school when sick.
“Children don’t have what we have as adults, which is decades of having immunity and fighting this,” Fulford added. “And they’re they’re not known for elite hygiene. And they touch everything.”
Experts say if you have symptoms that aren’t getting better after 48 hours to see a doctor, and it still isn’t too late to get a flu vaccine for this season.