FOUNTAIN HILL, Pa. — A new season may be upon us, but flu season is sticking around.
The Lehigh Valley is seeing an increase in influenza cases right now.
"One of the things that people always say about influenza is that the only thing that's predictable is that it's unpredictable,” said Dr. Jeffrey Jahre, St. Luke’s University Health Network’s senior vice president of medical and academic affairs and section chief emeritus of infectious diseases.
Jahre said only about 35% of the people eligible to receive the influenza vaccine actually got it, which can be dangerous for those who contract the virus.
"It has been severe in individuals who have not been vaccinated."Dr. Jeffrey Jahre, section chief emeritus of infectious diseases, St. Luke’s University Health Network
“This year, late in the year, we're still seeing influenza A, but we're seeing twice as much influenza B," Jahre said.
"It has been severe in individuals who have not been vaccinated."
He said generally, influenza A is more severe than influenza B, but both can be dangerous without preventive measures.
"The vaccines are most effective in preventing the worst consequences of disease and what we're talking about there is hospitalization and death,” he said.
“Unfortunately, I will tell you that within the last month we've seen a number of deaths in somewhat younger people with influenza B who have not gotten the vaccine."
Identifying the flu
Identifying whether a person has the flu or another disease, such as respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, or COVID-19, can be difficult.
So Jahre suggested that those experiencing symptoms get tested.
“One of the things that we try and tell people to do is if they're getting these symptoms, they really should be screened."Dr. Jeffrey Jahre, section chief emeritus of infectious diseases, St. Luke’s University Health Network
“One of the things that we try and tell people to do is if they're getting these symptoms, they really should be screened," he said.
"Because there are treatments that are available that are quite obviously different when you're dealing with COVID-19 or when you're dealing with influenza.”
Symptoms for the flu mainly include a cough, fatigue, fever, headaches and muscle and body aches, with occasional runny nose and sore throat.
Jahre said there also is an increase in gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, more commonly found in children.
"Influenza is more likely to hit you very stubbornly, where one minute you're feeling well and the next minute you're having shaking chills.”
A cough and fatigue may last for week or even month after the initial infection.
The recommendation is that people with those symptoms stay home until they are fever-free for 24 hours, without medication.
Jahre said prevention is more effective than treatment, so people 6-months and older who can get the vaccination should do in late summer or early fall.
Flu season typically runs through May.
