Cases continue to rise despite end of winter

GEELONG’S horror flu season has hit nearly 2000 residents, new statistics show.

Although experts believe the peak of the flu season has passed, the latest health department data reveals cases of the flu have continued to rise as the weather warms up.

About 250 new cases have been recorded in the past month in Greater Geelong.

It brings the Geelong region’s total to 1981 recorded influenza cases between January 1 and September 16.

Over the same time span last year there were just 206 cases recorded, compared with 1175 in that period in 2017.

The Health Department has not disclosed how many deaths have been caused by the flu in Geelong this year, in the city’s worst season on record.

However Barwon Health last month confirmed there had been a “small number” of deaths related to the flu in Geelong, due to patients developing complications.

A Department of Health and Human Services spokesman said so far this year there had been more than 50,000 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza notified to the DHHS in Victoria.

The department was aware of more than 110 deaths in residential care and more than 20 in the community from flu in the state, he said.

“We are aware that influenza is still circulating in the community and it is timely to remind Victorians to remain vigilant and protect themselves and others from spreading the virus through cough etiquette, hand hygiene and staying home if ill,” the spokesman said.

Barwon Health says a high number of patients descended on its emergency department to seek treatment during this year’s busier season.

The most common symptoms of the flu are the appearance of a fever, a dry cough, body aches, especially in the head, lower back and legs, and feeling extremely weak and tired, and not wanting to get out of bed.

Other symptoms can include chills, aching behind the eyes, loss of appetite, sore throat and a runny or stuffy nose.