It's flu season, take precautions to not become a statistic

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It's that time of the year when people are experiencing coughs, fevers, sore throats, body aches and runny or stuffy noses. It's flu season!

El Dorado County health officials said they saw an earlier start than normal of the flu season this year and now all regions of the country are seeing elevated widespread levels of flu-like illness.

Seasonal influenza activity in the United States has been elevated for five weeks and continues to increase, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

Activity is being caused mostly by influenza B/Victoria viruses, which is unusual for this time of year. A/H1N1 viruses are the next most common and are increasing in proportion relative to other influenza viruses in some regions.

CDC estimates that so far this season there have been at least 2.6 million flu illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations and 1,300 deaths from flu. Closer to home there have been no reported deaths from the flu.

“El Dorado County public health officials regularly monitor reports from local hospitals of people testing positive for influenza, as well as reports from the California Department of Public Health regarding flu activity across the state," said El Dorado County Public Health Officer, Dr. Nancy Williams. "Based on this surveillance information, it appears that cases of influenza began increasing in early November this year, signaling an earlier than normal start to the flu season."

In Las Vegas, hospitalizations from the flu are up 530 percent more than the same week last year, according to Alpine County Health Officer Dr. Richard Johnson.

The start of flu season means flu viruses are circulating in the community and individuals should take precautions to ensure that they and their family members stay healthy.

Ways to keep the flu away:

*Receive a flu vaccination
*Frequently wash your hands
*Cover your cough
*Stay home when sick
*Get plenty of rest
*Eat nutritious foods.

If you haven’t already been vaccinated against the flu, it isn’t too late, said Dr. Williams. Medical offices, pharmacies and El Dorado County Public Health clinics offer the flu vaccine during the flu season until supplies run out. We haven’t heard of any shortages this year, but the sooner you are vaccinated the better. It generally takes two weeks after immunization for a person’s immune system to develop maximum protection against flu viruses.

During the months of September through November this year, El Dorado County Public Health provided a series of low-cost community flu vaccination clinics in the county, including in South Lake Tahoe. Although Public Health’s community flu clinics are completed for this year, individuals can still receive a flu vaccine through Public Health by scheduling an appointment. The cost is $10 per vaccination, but no one is turned away due to inability to pay. To schedule an appointment at the South Lake Tahoe Public Health Clinic, call (530) 573-3155.”

Additional information about influenza, including tips to prevent the flu, can be found at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm.

For a list of locations that offer the flu vaccine visit: https://vaccinefinder.org/