Flu season in full swing

With flu season in full force, the University Health Clinic and the University of Texas Health Science Center in Tyler are seeing fewer reported cases than one year ago.

“So far, the numbers are less than what they were last year in Texas,” said Dr. Patti Olusola, assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center. “We are still fairly early in the season so these numbers are low for us.”

At the University Health Center, Dr. Lee Schrieber, an assistant professor of family medicine and the physician at the University Health Center, said he has seen only two flu cases from the general public in the past week for the influenza virus. Kerry Scruggs, a nurse practitioner at the clinic, sees most of the student patients and was unavailable for comment.

The flu, known scientifically as the influenza virus, is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by the influenza A and B viruses. If people start to feel the symptoms of high fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, cough and runny nose, experts recommend seeking medical assistance.

“Contact a physician immediately because if you wait over 48 hours, then we will not be able to give you prevention medicine and we will just let it run its course,” Dr. Olusola said.

The influenza virus usually enters the body through mucus membranes in the mouth, nose or eyes. When a person with the flu coughs or sneezes, the virus then becomes airborne and can be inhaled by anyone nearby, according to the Web site flufacts.com.

Some people, such as older adults, young children and people with specific health conditions are at a high risk for serious flu complications. In extreme cases, complications can lead to death, experts said.

On average in the United States per year, 5 percent to 20 percent of the population gets the flu; more than 20,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications and about 36,000 people die from the flu according to the website flufacts.com.

Dr. Olusola said that people who think they might be getting the flu should take precautionary measures. The flu season normally runs from November to March, but in Texas it runs from December to March.

“They need to get vaccinated with the flu shot as soon as they become available and we start giving them out the first week of October,” she said. “Other ways that people can prevent getting the flu are daily hand washing, making sure that they have no contact with others who have the virus and contacting a physician as soon as they get it to start receiving prevention medication.”

The University Corner Store employees reported sales of flu medicine have increased during this flu season.  The store offers Dayquil, Nyquil and other types of preventive medicines.

Flu vaccines are also being offered at the Health Science Center, but Dr. Schreiber said with the time frame remaining for the flu it could be best to let it run its course.

“I would say that it is too late in the game to get a flu shot because they take two-to-four weeks to work,” he said. “By the time that happens, we are already in March and that is when the season ends.”