Health officials: Flu season not over
Community members urged to be vigilant in preventing spread
While Yuma is experiencing a rise in temperatures this week, local health officials note that the months commonly affiliated with the sniffles are not over and stress the importance of preventative measures as the state is still seeing widespread flu.
Yuma County public health director Diana Gomez said there have been 19,279 confirmed cases of flu in Arizona compared to 2,175 cases at this point in time last year and in Yuma County, there have been 613 confirmed cases of flu to date compared to 20 cases at the same point in time last year.
“There is no federal requirement for states to report adult flu deaths, only pediatric deaths are reported,” she said. “To date there have been no pediatric flu deaths in Yuma County this flu season.
“Flu season can extend until May,” Gomez added. “It is important people remain vigilant and stay home when sick. You can spread the flu one day before full, flu symptoms develop and up to five to seven days after becoming sick.”
In total, she added the Health District has administered 2,017 flu vaccines to date.
According to Bharat Magu, Chief Medical Officer at YRMC, the flu vaccine is less effective this year as there are “very small changes in the genetic framework of the virus.”
“The flu vaccine may not prevent you from getting the flu but it will still protect you from getting a serious form of flu,” he said.
“It would not be as severe as it could be if somebody did not have a flu vaccination.”
At the end of last month, Magu stated that the Yuma Regional Medical Center Emergency Department has been seeing a downward trend as of the end of last month in flu cases, though he notes that there is an overall high level of flu activity in the state.
“We definitely have seen a drop in the number of positive flu cases in our ED in the last week of January,” Magu said. “The general trend started to pan down. The peak thus far for us and Arizona as a state was the first week of January and it continued to trend downward, but this last week just saw a little bit of an uptick.”
Gomez noted that while flu season typically peaks January through February, this has been “a very atypical flu season.”
“In Yuma County we saw cases peak in early January so hopefully we continue to see a downward trend,” she said. “Please stay home when you are sick. Cover your cough. Wash your hands. Get a flu shot.”
In Arizona, an average of 4,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications every year, she added.
“Children, the elderly and those with chronic conditions like diabetes or asthma are more susceptible to the flu and possible complications,” she said. Know when to seek medical treatment. If you have concerns please contact your medical provider.”