Milder flu season so far

By IAN WEINER
Posted 1/3/19

By IAN WEINER

Rhode Island has seen a milder flu season so far this year than in 2017-2018, as there have been significantly less deaths and hospital visits associated with the virus.

“I …

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Milder flu season so far

Posted

By IAN WEINER

Rhode Island has seen a milder flu season so far this year than in 2017-2018, as there have been significantly less deaths and hospital visits associated with the virus.

“I would surmise that has to do with the characteristics of the circulating strain,” Peter Graves, emergency department chief at Kent Hospital, said Wednesday. “Some strains produce more severe symptoms than others and it is certainly possible that this year’s vaccine was more effective than in year’s past.”

In the 2017-2018 season, Rhode Island saw 1,390 hospitalizations associated with the flu.

This season, Graves estimates that around 5 to10 people per day enter the Kent Hospital emergency wing with influenza-like symptoms.

“Typically, a patient like that, we’ll put a mask on the patient, and we do our best to place them in a room where they are relatively isolated from other patients,” Graves said. “We test for influenza, and that test usually comes back within 45 minutes to an hour.”

He explained that the busiest week of the year is around Christmas. The hospital tends to experience the highest number of patients with influenza-like symptoms. However, that same week this year was not as busy as it was in 2017-2018.

Similarly, physician’s offices around the state have also reported further flu-related visits. According to the Rhode Island Department of Health, 1.08 percent of visits last week were related to flu-like symptoms. For the same week in the 2017-2018 season, that number was 1.47 percent.

“Every year there are flu cases, but some years see a higher number of cases,” Graves said. “We urge every single person to get the vaccine.” 

However, Graves noted that it is still early in the flu season, and everyone should take precautions to prevent acquiring the influenza virus. People should stay away from others who have flu like symptoms, wash their hands frequently and if they believe they have flu-like symptoms, keep themselves away from others and stay home from work.

Patients who enter the emergency wing and have had the flu for fewer than three days are able to receive a medication called Tamiflu. Tamiflu is shown to be mildly effective in reducing the severity or duration of the virus.

“We do offer it patients and explain that it may help them get well a day earlier, that it may help their symptoms,” Graves said.

Graves said that some patients enter the emergency wing with influenza-like symptoms, and those patients are admitted to the hospital. They are then given Tamiflu and treated for their other medical conditions. Most patients are safely discharged.

The Rhode Island Department of Health reported 60 influenza-associated deaths for the 2017-2018 season. As of Dec. 7, two deaths have been reported.

Students in kindergarten through grade 12 are provided vaccination at no cost. Adults with insurance are eligible for vaccination through their healthcare providers, and those who are uninsured may get vaccinated at the St. Joseph Health center in Providence.

As of Dec. 3, the Rhode Island Department of Health said that 333,202 doses of the flu vaccine have been administered to state residents.

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  • Justanidiot

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