Summer flu cases surge

TOWNSVILLE residents are being urged to cover their coughs, as health authorities report a spike in influenza cases, with some cases presenting after the city’s flooding crisis.

There were 105 confirmed cases of influenza between January 1 and February 10, according to the latest Townsville Hospital and Health Service data.

By comparison, there were 86 cases of influenza during the same period in 2018, and 88 in 2017.

Townsville Public Health Unit acting director Dr Julie Mudd said influenza outbreaks tend to be largely driven by people accumulating together.

“We are a little bit concerned in that we do have a lot of people gathering together at the moment,” Dr Mudd said.

“We’ve had a lot of people indoors during the flood event and we now have a lot of peo- ple who are residing with other families in housing.”

While influenza is not directly a flood-related illness, Dr Mudd said more people may be getting sicker with common conditions as the clean-up continues.

“What we are noticing is that people are getting sicker with common conditions than what they normally would,” she said.

“I think that may well be a stress and sleep deprivation factor. Everyone in town is getting very tired.

“People are feeling the effects of any illness that they get more acutely than they might otherwise feel it.”

But the influenza spike has not just been recorded in Townsville, with statewide figures also on the rise.

Queensland Health’s Senior Medical Officer Communicable Diseases Branch Dr Jonathan Malo said Queensland as a whole has recorded the highest number of summer influenza cases in the last five years.

“Since 1 January this year, there have been almost 2,600 lab confirmed cases of influenza, compared to an average of 881 confirmed cases for the same period in the previous five years,” Dr Malo said.

Residents are being urged to cover their cough, wash their hands and stay home when ill to avoid the spread of influenza.

“Try to be a little bit careful of other people if they do feel sick so we can stop it from spreading too far” Dr Mudd said.

“Unfortunately it’s too early for the annual flu vaccine. It hasn’t arrived yet so we don't have that option.”

WHAT WE ARE NOTICING IS THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING SICKER WITH COMMON CONDITIONS THAN WHAT THEY NORMALLY WOULD.