MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Flu cases are beginning to increase across the state, according to WVU Medicine epidemiologist Dr. Matt Lokant.
“We’ve actually had more than five percent of our emergency room visits for influenza symptoms,’ Lokant said Tuesday on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.” “It’s already here and I expect those numbers to climb.”
He said bordering states are either experiencing “high” or “very high” flu activity rates. He added that our peak generally comes six to eight weeks after the peaks in more populous states on our border.
This flu variant is new and called the subclade K variant. Subclade K is a variant of the H3N2 family of viruses, which can trigger more severe seasons and which seems to be harder on older people, who are among the most vulnerable to flu.
“Since this one is a little bit of a different strain, we’re seeing more rapid spread of that subclade K variant,” Lokant said. “There are more cases and therefore more hospitalizations.”
Lokant urges people to self-monitor and get treatment as soon as possible if they experience symptoms. Now, adopting pandemic-era personal hygiene habits like not touching your face, washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes, and in some cases wearing a mask can offer extra protection.
“I’d really advise our listeners to watch for warning signs such as difficulty breathing, a high fever that’s not resolving, confusion, or dehydration,” Lokant said. “Those will require medical attention, and I’d like our listeners to know that.”
Lokant said the vaccine is never perfectly matched with the annual strain, and this year is no different. The vaccine can help people avoid the most serious symptoms but does take up to two weeks after being administered before becoming 100 percent effective.
“It’s important to note that even in a mismatched year we see protections from the vaccination against severe disease that would lead to hospitalization, so we definitely still recommend getting the vaccination,” Lokant said.
For flu sufferers there are a variety of over-the-counter and prescription options that can offer relief. There are four primary prescription treatment options: oseltamivir (Tamiflu), baloxavir (Xofluza), zanamivir (Relenza), and peramivir (Rapivab). The drugs are most effective when taken as soon as possible after a case of the flu has been confirmed.
“There are currently four Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved antiviral treatments that are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC),” Lokant said. “They work best when they are started within 48 hours of symptom onset, but they can still benefit high-risk individuals if started later.”