Along with trying to keep warm during this frigidly cold weather, many Benton County residents are also suffering with colds, flu and other illnesses.
“Influenza, also known as the flu, is a respiratory virus usually seen October through May with our peak season being right now, December to February,” said Dr. Amber Campbell of Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare in Warsaw. “It is contagious and often is spread by droplets in the air by coughing, sneezing, talking, as well as touching surfaces contaminated with the virus like doorknobs, remotes, cell phones or touching, kissing someone with the flu. Typically, incubation of the virus is 1-4 days after exposure. Symptoms typically include fever, cough, body aches, headaches, sore throat and nasal congestion."
"Right now, there is a little bit of everything going around," said Chelsea Casteel, FNP at Bothwell Regional Health Center in Warsaw. "We have recently seen RSV, COVID, flu, norovirus and viral URI's that have a lingering, nasty cough. Influenza A has been the most common with several severe cases associated with it."
Type A influenza is a common infection that can cause widespread flu outbreaks. It can cause fever, body aches, chills, fatigue, and other symptoms.
Influenza is a contagious viral infection that attacks the respiratory system.
Influenza viruses that infect humans can be classified into three main groups: A, B, and C. Type A influenza infection can be serious and cause widespread outbreaks and disease.
"Influenza A has been terrible," said Brooke Daleske, RN, of the Benton County Health Department. "We are seeing very high numbers, but understand that these numbers could actually be higher if everyone that was sick actually went to the doctor for testing. While Influenza numbers have been higher this year, we know that there are other respiratory illnesses that are circulating. COVID is still out there, as well as RSV. Let’s not forget your typical upper respiratory infections or sinus infections."
School's have seen widespread effects on attendance due to sickness.
" In late January and early February we were hit hard with various illnesses; the most common being Influenza A," said Lincoln R-II Superintendent Kevin Smith. "For a few days we were as low as 70% attendance. Fortunately, for us, within a week we were back to being normal. The most difficult part was with our staff members getting sick and not having enough substitutes to cover. But our principals were very creative with their scheduling to make it work."
Warsaw R-IX Superintendent Scott Gemes has seen similar effects, but maybe not quite as bad as the northern part of the county.
"We have seen many different types of sickness going through our students and staff," Gemes said. "I am not sure we could blame one sickness more than another. Overall, our district student attendance has been between 88%-91% during the last few weeks. Some of our buildings have gotten down to 85% attendance on certain days, but they have rebounded the next day."
Warsaw resident Stephanie Adair has been suffering with the flu for almost three weeks.
“I have never been this sick. I started with Influenza A and RSV," she said. "Now I have a cough that won’t go away."
Common symptoms of type A infection can be confused with other conditions. While in some milder cases the flu can resolve on its own without significant symptoms, severe cases of type A influenza can be life-threatening.
Unlike a common cold, the flu typically occurs with a sudden onset of symptoms. Common signs of an influenza infection include: coughing, runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat, fever, headache, fatigue, chills, body aches.
Sometimes, influenza A symptoms may resolve on their own. However, if symptoms persist for more than a week without improvement, schedule a visit with your doctor.
People who are at high risk for flu complications, such as those who are 65 years old and up or who have weakened immune systems, should seek immediate medical treatment. In rare cases, the flu can be deadly.
Left untreated, the flu can cause: ear infection, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain, chest pain, asthma attack, pneumonia, bronchitis and cardiac issues.
“Everyone wants an antibiotic to ‘fix’ the symptoms, but unfortunately antibiotics don’t work to treat viral infections like the flu. As providers we are taught to be antibiotic stewards and only prescribe antibiotics for bacterial infections to help prevent antibiotic resistance,” said Campbell.
Before treating, the doctor will need to check for the influenza virus. The preferred test is the rapid molecular assay. In this procedure, the doctor swabs the patient’s nose or throat. The test will detect influenza viral RNA within 30 minutes or less.
Results aren’t always accurate, and the doctor may have to make a diagnosis based on symptoms or other flu tests.
In some cases, influenza A symptoms can clear on their own with ample rest and fluid intake. In other cases, your doctor may prescribe antiviral medication to fight the infection.
Common antiviral prescriptions include: zanamivir (Relenza); oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or peramivir (Rapivab).
These medications, known as neuraminidase inhibitors, reduce the ability of the influenza virus to spread from cell to cell, slowing down the infection process.
Though effective, these medications can cause side effects such as nausea and vomiting. If a patient begins to experience any of these symptoms or if the condition worsens, they should stop using the prescription and visit their doctor immediately.
A new medication called baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza), created by a Japanese pharmaceutical company, was approved in October 2018 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Trusted Source. This antiviral drug helps stop the influenza virus from replicating.
Over-the-counter medication therapy can also ease flu symptoms. Be sure to stay hydrated to loosen mucus in your chest and strengthen the immune system.
A person with the flu is contagious from at least a day before he/she begins to experience symptoms up through five days after symptoms begin.
In more severe cases, a person could be contagious for even longer after he/she begins experiencing symptoms. This number can fluctuate if a person’s immune system is weak or undeveloped, specifically in cases of children or older adults.
“I encourage everyone to get the yearly flu shot to help prevent the infection to begin with and to stay home if they do get sick," Campbell said. "I tell my patients to come and get tested for the flu within the first 48 hours of symptoms. Antiviral medication can be prescribed within that time window to try to limit the severity of the virus and length of time you are sick. The rest of the treatment for the flu is just supportive care with rest, drinking plenty of water, cough suppressants, Tylenol or NSAIDS, guaifenesin, decongestants, and Vitamin C, D, zinc for immune support."
Daleske made her own suggestions, "According to the CDC, individuals should stay home until they are 24 hours fever free, without a fever reducing medication, and have overall symptom improvement. As always, proper hand hygiene, covering your cough, and just staying home when you aren’t feeling well, are the best practices to help prevent further spread of any illness."
She added, "Proper nutrition and taking your vitamins help immensely!"
Back at the school's, they rely heavily on additional cleaning practices.
"Our staff all worked together to do additional classroom cleaning when they could," Smith added. "We try to disinfect the areas the best we could. We are back to normal now, but it seemed like the illness was very contagious this year. Hopefully we can maintain our steady attendance throughout the remainder of the school year."
"To help with the sickness, we are blessed to have a good relationship with our local doctors, and we have Katy Trial on site to help has well," Gemes commented.
"We encourage our parents to keep their students home until they are fever free for 24 hours. Our custodial staff does a great job of cleaning our facilities to keep them disinfected throughout the day and every evening"
Casteel simplified the approach.
"My advice is to wash hands frequently," she commented. "Stay home, if you are sick. Wash and sanitize surfaces. Avoid touching your face. Avoid highly crowded areas."
Warsaw mother Amanda Adler had to battle Influenza A with two of her children.
“When you have several children, when one is sick, they all seem to get sick,” said Adler. “This has been a hard winter with flu and colds. I am looking forward to spring.”
Aren't we all?
