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Flu season strikes swiftly with H3N2 strain

By Kate Hayden, khayden@charlescitypress.com

The flu is making headlines again this season, but advice to manage it is reliably basic.

Stay home for at least 24 hours after a fever ends to prevent spreading the virus. Wash your hands often, and cover your mouth if you’re coughing.

Remember, it’s not too late to get the flu shot before you are sick, public health officials say.

“We recommend that everyone six months or older gets the vaccine. There’s still time to get it,” said Public Health Nurse Gail Arjes.

State officials have reported 14 influenza-related deaths since Oct. 1, including eight citizens over the age of 61 who died since the start of January.

Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa in Mason City announced visitor restrictions  Tuesday due to flu season in the community. The restrictions ask anyone exhibiting flu-like symptoms not to enter the hospital unless they are seeking care; limits Birth Center visitors to the significant other of the patient; limits pediatric department visitors to parents or guardians; and limits visitors of adult patients to two adults chosen by the patient.

Flu activity can last until April or early May, although Floyd County does not track cases of the flu, the Public Health Department said.

The Floyd County office offered flu vaccine clinics in September through November, but residents can call the office at 641-257-6111 to set up an appointment now, Arjes said.

Flu shots are also available during business hours at the Kmart Pharmacy, at 1405 S. Grand (641-228-7940), and at the Hy-Vee Pharmacy at 901 Kelly Street (641-228-1222).

Nationwide, emergency rooms are reporting waiting times as long as nine hours as the U.S. faces the H3N2 strain of the flu, considered to be particularly virulent.

A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows flu and pneumonia deaths crept up last week to push flu to an epidemic level. Flu reaches that threshold most winters, even during seasons that are not considered particularly bad.

Hospitalizations of the elderly are climbing. So far they’re not shooting up quite like they did in 2014-2015, but health officials are watching the numbers closely.

Most people who come down with the flu do not need to visit the emergency room, the CDC says, and likely won’t need medical care or antiviral drugs.

Patients who are in a “high-risk group” for developing flu-related complications are encouraged to call a health care provider early in the illness, instead of visiting the emergency room, to see if they could benefit from an antiviral treatment.

Emergency warning signs of the flu include difficulty breathing, pain or pressure in the chest, severe or persistent vomiting, and flu-like symptoms that improve and then return with fever and worsening cough. The CDC has a list of emergency warning signs for children and infants online at www.cdc.gov/flu/takingcare.htm.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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