Second wave of flu invades Snohomish County hospitals

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By ANGELA COOPER-McCORKLE
Posted on March 27, 2019

Second wave of flu invades Snohomish County hospitals

SNOHOMISH COUNTY – According to local experts, an end-of-season influenza outbreak causes overcrowding in local hospitals and the infection may not have reached its peak yet.
So far this flu season, 15 people, including one child, have died in Snohomish County. As of March 15, 242 people had been hospitalized, but officials say it is the proliferation of the flu rather than its severity that worries most.
"The hospital is completely packed. There are no open beds. It's been like this for several weeks. The emergency room is extremely busy because of flu and flu-like illnesses, people with high fever, people with influenza, or complications that make their disease worse, "said Dr.
Yuan-Po Tu who runs the flu services at the Everett Clinic.
You said it was the highest incidence of flu that he saw during his practice at Everett Clinic for about 24 years.
Monroe Hospital is in a similar situation.
"There are a lot of very sick people in hospital beds," said Renée Jensen, Evergreen-Health Monroe's Administrative Manager.
This year, two strains of influenza A have claimed lives. Usually we dominate. As the H1N1 virus began the season, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that 65% of cases were of the H3N2 type by the end of the week of March 16th.
"We are seeing a sharp increase in influenza activity in the county," said Snohomish Health District spokeswoman Heather Thomas, who was one of many flu victims of the week last.
An end-of-season flu is also more likely to infect those who have already received an influenza vaccine, according to Tu. The shots were effective at around 47% based on the results of the first half of the season, he said, but the effectiveness diminishes over time. The vaccine also tends to be less effective against the H3N2 strain, Tu said.
If you are infected, "stay home until your fever disappears over 24 hours" have pbaded where you are "without Tylenol or ibuprofen," Tu said. "This material is pretty contagious … it can erase an office, a sports team, or a school pretty quickly."
According to the Snohomish Health District, 29 schools in Snohomish County reported absence rates of 10% or more for the week ending March 16th. Seven long-term care facilities reported outbreaks.
If you have not had the flu yet, doctors say it's not too late to get vaccinated. It takes about 10 days for the vaccine to take effect, but with a season likely to last several weeks, it is worth it.
Shots are recommended for all people over six months, according to the CDC.
For those who are already infected or who think they are, go to the emergency room if you have difficulty breathing, if you have difficulty breathing or if you are short of breath. The Snohomish Health District also recommends seeking emergency care for children who are so irritable that they do not want to be detained and have fever in infants under 3 months of age. The color of blue or gray skin, the inability to drink or retain liquids, unconsciousness or dizziness and sudden dizziness are also indications for an emergency treatment.
If you have a fever of 100.4 degrees or more for more than four days, you should be seen in an office, said Tu. Finally, if you think you have the flu and belong to a high-risk group, go to the doctor as soon as possible during normal office hours for a diagnosis.
People at high risk of influenza complications include all people under 5 and over 65; and people with chronic diseases such as diabetes and congestive heart failure, COPD or asthma. Pregnant women and women who have given birth in the past two weeks are also at high risk.
"If you have a high-risk condition, within the first 48 hours (of being sick), you will benefit from the administration of Tamiflu," Tu said.
Symptoms include fever, chills, body aches, sore throat, runny nose, cough, and fatigue. "The essential is a very brutal start," Tu said.
For more information, visit www.snohd.org/154/The-Flu