Health officials report widespread flu activity

Influenza is coming soon to a school, business or home near you — if it hasn't arrived already.

“We're pretty much at widespread activity in all regions of the state,” Laurence Burnsed, interim state epidemiologist, said Tuesday.

Physicians reported last week's flu activity to the state Health Department on Monday and Tuesday, and the department will issue its weekly update Thursday.

The most recent report showed 25 people have died in Oklahoma from flu-related issues and 907 people have been hospitalized so far this flu season — Sept. 1 to Feb. 12. The number of cases has gone up steadily since Jan. 2.

Late January and into February typically is the most intense period for flu activity, Burnsed said.

Flu activity is following that pattern this season and affecting the normal highest-risk groups the most — age 65 and older, followed by age 50-64 and children younger than 5.

Of the 25 deaths reported so far, only two people were younger than 50. No child deaths have been reported.

Older people are more likely to have underlying conditions — like diabetes, heart and lung issues, cancer — that make them more susceptible to communicable diseases, Burnsed said.

“So far it has been a less intense season than the last two,” he said.

Last season, 292 Oklahomans died and 4,836 were hospitalized with flu complications. Both deaths and hospitalizations were about double what they were for 2016-17, which wasn't considered a mild year, according to the Health Department.

Burnsed said health officials have heard that a few schools have closed because of large numbers of sick teachers and students. Influenza-like illness is defined as having a fever higher than 100 degrees combined with a cough and/or a sore throat.

Western Heights Public Schools in southwest Oklahoma City canceled classes Tuesday and Wednesday this week after about 500 students were absent per day at the end of last week, Assistant Superintendent Brayden Savage said. Enrollment there is about 3,300. Staffing also was down 15 percent to 20 percent because of strep and flu, he said.

“We are hoping with the long weekend and these two days out that students and staff will be healthy enough to return and we can stop some of the spread of illness,” Savage said.

Every classroom and office is being disinfected during the shutdown, he said.

Burnsed said people who are infected should stay home until they have been fever-free for 24 hours.

It's not too late to get a flu shot, which has proven to be about 47 percent effective this season, he said.

“It may not be perfect, but it's important for people to realize, even if you get the flu, it also reduces the severity of the symptoms and the length of illness,” Burnsed said.