Is Tarrant County looking at a replay of the deadly 2018 flu season?
The incidence of flu and flu-like illnesses increased again last month and physicians are wondering how hard the virus is likely to strike.
“This last week in December we had about 3,000 tests run and about 25 percent were positive for the flu,” said Russell Jones, chief epidemiologist for Tarrant County Public Health. “The week before we had 3,000 tests run and about 21 percent were positive.”
Last year was the worst incidence of flu and flu-like illnesses since the 2009-2010 pandemic flu season, according to Jones. When schools come back, there is a possibility there will be a further increase in the number of flu-like cases, Jones said.
This year, “We’re pretty well matching last year’s trends,” Jones said.
There were more than 150 flu deaths last year across North Texas, according to KERA. Across the U.S. last year, an estimated 80,000 people died, including more than 180 children and there were 30,453 influenza-related hospitalizations.
Researchers are awaiting more data before the effectiveness of the vaccine in circulation can be assessed as well as how many people are complying with pleas to get vaccinated, Jones said.
MedStar reports seeing about 7.8 flu or flu-like cases a day, up from the same period last year when an average of about 6.4 cases a day were reported.
The 242 flu-like illness cases that MedStar recorded in December nearly doubled the number of cases in November, when 123 patients had flu symptoms.
But it is difficult to make predictions, Jones said.
“Flu can prove you wrong,” he said.
Texas Health Resources emergency rooms are not reporting a crush of patients arriving with flu-like illnesses. Between Dec. 31 and Sunday, 609 patients went to the emergency room with flu-like illness compared to 1,467 during the same period last year, according to THR records.
That may mean that people are deciding to visit their primary physician instead of the hospital emergency room when they feel flu symptoms coming on, Jones said.
Jones urged people to get a flu vaccination if they have not already received one. Certain populations, such as those who expect to come into contact with people who are suffering from the flu, may benefit from using an anti-viral such as Tamiflu as a preventive measure, Jones said.
Also, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new anti-viral drug, Xofluza, in October for people 12 and older, said to combat symptoms in a single dose.
And if you are sick with the flu, isolate yourself.
“People who stay away from the office and school prevent more cases from occurring,” Jones said.
This story includes information from Star-Telegram archives.
This story was originally published January 7, 2019 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Is Tarrant County looking at a replay of the deadly 2018 flu season?."
