Grab A Tissue, Flu Activity Increasing
By: Bejoy Joseph
Updated: January 4, 2013
WHAG NEWS- The Center of Disease Control officials are predicting this year to be the worst Influenza season since 2009.
Health officials are urging residents to receive Flu vaccinations and take steps to prevent catching it. They say there have already been more than 100 cases of Influenza in the four-state region. Officials say it's due to a H3N2 strain that has been circulating in our area.
Doctors are now urging people to get a flu shot, especially children and seniors.
"There are several reasons, most likely certain strains get more virulent, get more infectious,certain other travel patterns, certain other regions cause the infection to more than other times" says Dr. Sanjay Dhar of Summit Health.
Doctor Dhar says there are ways you can prevent yourself from catching the flu. He says to get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and practice good hygiene.
"Anytime somebody coughs or sneezes they create small droplets of mucus in the air, that is called aerosol, and the virus, the Influenza Virus can survive in the aerosol," says Dr. Dhar.
He says other steps include avoiding close contact with sick people, and be careful when it comes to coming in contact with commonly touched objects.
"Even objects like credit cards plastic, things like bank notes, money or things like that are innocuous, tooth brush in a toothbrush holder, if the tooth and the toothbrush is touching that potentially helps the virus to spread from on to the other," says Dr. Dhar.
Doctor Dhar says some common symptoms of the flu include chills, fever and fatigue. He says if you have any of these symptoms, you should contact your doctor immediately.
Health officials are urging residents to receive Flu vaccinations and take steps to prevent catching it. They say there have already been more than 100 cases of Influenza in the four-state region. Officials say it's due to a H3N2 strain that has been circulating in our area.
Doctors are now urging people to get a flu shot, especially children and seniors.
"There are several reasons, most likely certain strains get more virulent, get more infectious,certain other travel patterns, certain other regions cause the infection to more than other times" says Dr. Sanjay Dhar of Summit Health.
Doctor Dhar says there are ways you can prevent yourself from catching the flu. He says to get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and practice good hygiene.
"Anytime somebody coughs or sneezes they create small droplets of mucus in the air, that is called aerosol, and the virus, the Influenza Virus can survive in the aerosol," says Dr. Dhar.
He says other steps include avoiding close contact with sick people, and be careful when it comes to coming in contact with commonly touched objects.
"Even objects like credit cards plastic, things like bank notes, money or things like that are innocuous, tooth brush in a toothbrush holder, if the tooth and the toothbrush is touching that potentially helps the virus to spread from on to the other," says Dr. Dhar.
Doctor Dhar says some common symptoms of the flu include chills, fever and fatigue. He says if you have any of these symptoms, you should contact your doctor immediately.
