Sure you’re healthy; butthis flu can kill
Every year, public health officials urge Americans to get a flu shot. And every year, millions of Americans come up with excuses not to do it.
I never get sick.
The vaccine isn’t 100 percent effective.
Since lots of others are getting a shot, I’m protected so I don’t need it, too.
While not exactly wise, these excuses might make sense in other years. But not this flu season – and certainly not in California.
Friday, state health officials reported that 74 people younger than 65 have died of influenza since October, up from 42 people in just the week before. A year ago, the death toll was a mere 14. Those deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mean we’re at “epidemic” levels.
Hospitalizations nationwide are up, too, at 31.5 per 100,000 residents. That’s not a record, but it is the worst season since 2003-04.
The threat posed by the H3N2 strain of Influenza A is real, persistent and has hit virtually every state in the nation. The CDC reports that, for the first year in more than a decade, every state except for Hawaii is grappling with an outbreak. (So if you need an excuse to head for the islands, now you’ve got one.)
The flu is so deadly this year that it has claimed the lives of physically fit people all over the country.
Katie Oxley Thomas, a 40-year-old marathon runner and mother from San Jose, died within days of being diagnosed with the flu. So did Kyler Baughman, a 21-year-old bodybuilder from Pittsburgh. Nico Mallozzi, a 10-year-old from Connecticut, was diagnosed with the flu while traveling with his hockey team in western New York. He died on his way back home.
So many people are so sick and so scared that some California hospitals are running out of nurses and doctors to treat them. In the East Bay, the antiviral medication Tamiflu is in short supply. There’s also a growing shortage of beds in which to put patients who are waiting get medical care.
At least one hospital, in Loma Linda, had no choice but to put up a tent in its parking lot to create makeshift triage centers. Others have cleared out storage rooms and turned them into emergency rooms. In Santa Cruz, one hospital has enacted visitor restrictions not seen since the days of the “swine flu” pandemic in 2009.
In the Central Valley, we’re not seeing the worst-case scenario. So far, only one person has died of the flu in Stanislaus County. But lots of people from Merced to Manteca are sneezing and wheezing.
Unfortunately, we’ve still got 12 weeks left in the “flu season” – and some believe the worst is yet to come.
What can we do to protect ourselves? Washing your hands frequently will help. Don’t rub your or your mouth or nose without a napkin or tissue. And know when it’s time to ask for help. A fever of 103 that lasts longer than a day requires attention. If your body aches, you feel tired all the time and you’ve almost fainted, there’s a good chance that you’ve got the flu.
Over-the-counter drugs won’t do much, but doctors can prescribe anti-virals that will ease the symptoms and shorten the duration of the illness.
The best protection is prevention. Wash your hands, cover your mouth when coughing, use a tissue or napkin when touching eyes, mouth or nose. At public gatherings, like church, avoid contact (wave, don’t shake hands or hug).
And get that flu shot. The vaccine is, maybe, 30 percent effective. But even if you get sick, you’ll get better faster. No excuses.
This story was originally published January 22, 2018 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Sure you’re healthy; butthis flu can kill."