SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Flu cases are on the rise in Northern California with sick patients flooding local doctor's offices and hospitals.
“It’s no surprise we are having an active [flu] season,” said Sacramento County’s Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye.
According to Kasirye, most people think that if you get the flu once in a season, you're in the clear. But that's not the case this year.
The Sacramento County Public Health Department says 31 cases have been reported so far this season. That’s higher than this time last year because there are two strains out there that are making people sick: Influenza A and Influenza B.
“Right now there are 16 cases of Influenza A, and the rest are Influenza B,” Kasirye said.
Five of those cases have been deadly, she said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been about 9.7 million flu cases across the United States so far this season, with 87,000 hospitalizations and 4,800 deaths.
The early dominance of the B-strain flu virus seems to hit children the hardest, with 32 pediatric deaths so far this season - the most this early in the season since the CDC started keeping track 16 years ago.
Symptoms to watch out for include fever, cough, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, headaches, muscle and body aches, and fatigue, all of which can lead to pneumonia. The best way to protect yourself and your children is to get the flu shot.
“They’re available through health providers and pharmacies and the health department is carrying it," Kasirye said.
If you're sick, Kasirye says you should stay home. If symptoms get worse, you should see a doctor. You should also make sure you wash your hands, cover your cough, and use a tissue and throw it away after using it.
While the symptoms of influenza B mirror those of A, the main difference between the two strains is who it can affect, Kasirye said. Strains of influenza B are contracted by humans while A can be carried, and spread, by animals. However, both strains are transmitted mainly by respiratory droplets from coughing and contact with an infected person.
This allows strains of A to be spread more rapidly than B, while also meaning strains of B cannot cause pandemics with symptoms likely less severe. Flu shots protect against both strains of influenza.
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