ORLANDO, Fla. – Flu cases are on an upswing across Florida, and so are flu-related visits to the emergency department.
Families find themselves coming up with a game plan to ward off flu, cold and other respiratory illnesses.
Honestly, we drank a lot of echinacea tea and stay hydrated,” says Jess, a local parent.
Some even go to the local drug store to “Get the medications that you need to make you feel better so you can rest and help your body recover,” said Cynthia Gutierrez.
Dr. Tim Hendrix with AdventHealth and Dr. Jenna Wheeler with Orlando Health report that this flu, cold, and RSV season is just as severe as last year.
“In the last week, we’ve seen a 40% increase in influenza cases at our AdventHealth Centra Care Urgent Care compared to last season in December,” Hendrix said. “This is definitely getting the peak flu season.”
Orlando Health says 3,407 tests were performed last week.
“I have friends who are pediatricians, and one of my friends ran out of tests because they were swabbing so many kids with the flu for the past couple of weeks,” said Wheeler, who is a Pediatric Critical Care Physician at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. “Our emergency department, and even our admissions, are higher now because of these viruses.”
The latest report by the Florida Department of Health for the week of Jan. 12-Jan. 18, said flu-related diagnoses at hospital emergency departments went up 6% over the previous week.
While individual flu cases are not reported in Florida, the state did say that there were 13 outbreaks in eight counties, including two in Seminole County, one in Orange County, and one in Volusia County.
Many point to the chilling weather as the main culprit, but doctors say it’s not that simple.
“You don’t catch a cold by simply being cold. When temperatures get cold, we keep our spaces closed. Windows are shut. Doors are shut. It tends to be more of a breeding ground for viruses,” said Wheeler.
So what works to treat flu symptoms?
“The main thing is keeping the fever down with Advil or Tylenol, ibuprofen or acetaminophen. The over-the-counter fever reducers are very effective at reducing the fever and making you feel more comfortable,” Hendrix said.
Doctors say that honey is helpful when it comes to controlling that cough, but doctors and several parents say that the flu vaccine is the best protector.
“First of all, we get our flu shot,” Gutierrez said. “I got mine when I got my physical a couple of weeks ago. He got his when he went to go see his pediatrician.”
Doctors say the vaccine is not the end-all-be-all, but it does help out when you get sick.
Doctors and parents also say washing your hands is a major part of keeping yourself safe, and a bowl of chicken noodle soup never hurts.
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