Displaying items by tag: flu

:19 - A long-time guest on our program and station is Dr. Debbie Plate from Cleveland Clinic-Akron General. Dr. Plate stopped by to stress the importance of the flu shot, saying that it is not too late to get one at this moment. She also discussed the disposal of expired medication.

9:57 - Tensions continue between the United States and Iran following last week’s strike that killed major general Qasem Soleimani. Dr. David Beer from Malone University talked about the possibility of President Trump remaining isolationist or looking to start conflict with Iran.

19:00 - U-Haul and other companies are starting to test for nicotine, and if one tests positive, they may not be hired or could get fired. Is this about preserving one’s health, or is this about keeping insurance rates down?

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The Ohio Department of Health has released some flu numbers from the first week of 2017, and they're encouraging residents to get vaccinated. 

A sharp increase of 130 cases of the flu occurred between the last week of December and the first week of January, according to the report. ODH spokeswoman Melanie Amato tells WAKR.net, "We found that flue had increased across the state of Ohio and become widespread. And what that means is that we are finding hospitalizations for the flu in every part of the state." While it is a big increase, these numbers are pretty typical for this time of year in Ohio. She said a lot of people stay indoors and furthermore a lot of families are getting together, passing around germs while couped up out of the cold. 

Amato reminds Ohio residents that since the flu season typically runs through the middle of March, there is still time to get vaccinated. She says vaccinations among Ohioans is down, but supplies of vaccinations are still abundant. 

Read the full press release from the Ohio Department of Health below: 

Influenza-like illness is now widespread throughout Ohio for the first time this flu season, and the number of associated hospitalizations are rising. The first week of January, there were 287 new confirmed flu-associated hospitalizations in Ohio compared to 157 the week before. There have been 654 total flu-associated hospitalizations since flu season began last October. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu activity is on the rise across the country and this trend is expected to continue for at least several more weeks.

Flu season in Ohio generally lasts from October to May, with flu-associated hospitalizations typically peaking between December and February. The 2015-16 flu season a year ago started a bit later and flu-associated hospitalizations did not peak until early March. There were 3,691 total flu-associated hospitalizations during last year’s flu season.

“Influenza vaccination is the safest and most effective way to prevent the flu, except for infants younger than 6-month old who aren’t eligible to receive it,” said Sietske de Fijter, chief of the Bureau of Infectious Diseases and state epidemiologist for the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). “Vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors' visits and missed work and school.”

While vaccination provides the greatest protection against the flu, other effective ways to avoid getting or spreading it include: washing hands frequently or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer; covering coughs and sneezes with tissues, or coughing or sneezing into elbows; avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth; and staying home when sick and until fever-free for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication.

Symptoms of influenza can include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Flu vaccination is available at most healthcare providers’ offices, local health departments and retail pharmacies.

“There are no flu vaccine shortages across Ohio,” de Fijter said. “The short time it will take to get a flu vaccine is much less than the time it will take you to recover from the flu.”

CDC recommends that clinicians administer one of two prescription antiviral drugs as a second line of defense as soon as possible to patients with confirmed or suspected influenza who are hospitalized, have severe illness, or may be at higher risk for flu complications. Patients who could benefit from them include children younger than 2 years old; adults 65 and older; people with chronic medical conditions including asthma, heart disease, or weakened immune systems; pregnant women; American Indians/Alaska Natives; and people who are morbidly obese.

“These antiviral medications can reduce the severity of the flu and prevent serious flu complications,” de Fijter said. “They work best when started within two days of getting sick.”

Adult flu-associated deaths are not reportable to ODH so these statistics are not available. Flu-associated pediatric deaths are reportable, but there have been no such deaths reported in Ohio so far this flu season.

More information about influenza and flu activity in Ohio is available at www.flu.ohio.gov.