The U.S. flu season is here with cases increasing sharply across much of the country, including Georgia, according to the latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Thirteen states including Georgia are early hot spots with high or very high levels of flu activity, about double from the week before, according to CDC surveillance.
Flu cases have been on the upswing and have“exploded over the past week,” said Dr. Luke Lathrop, chief medical officer of SmartMED Drive-Thru Medical Care in Roswell.
On Monday morning, a long line of 20-plus vehicles formed outside the drive-thru clinic. Lathrop noted as an indicator of illness trends, about 40% of all patients getting treatment at the clinic are testing positive for the flu. Most are the influenza A strain, associated with more severe illness, especially among children and the elderly.
The CDC tracks flu activity levels through multiple flu indicators, including the percentage of influenza-like illness visits to outpatient health clinics, the rates of flu-related hospitalizations, and the percentage of deaths resulting from flu. In the CDC map on flu activity, states with low activity are in shades of green while higher activity is noted with shades of orange and red and purple. Georgia is currently orange on the map — signifying high levels on the CDC scale.
Other viruses are also circulating at higher levels. Hospitalizations for RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, another common respiratory virus, started rising before flu did. Overall, RSV activity is low nationally, but high in the South, wastewater data shows. Lathrop is also seeing elevated levels of RSV.
Infections with the bacteria that causes walking pneumonia has also surged this year, especially among young children, but there are signs of it leveling off.
Credit: custom
Credit: custom
Overall, Lathrop said the volume of sick patients is “through the roof.”
One virus not driving the surge of illnesses this holiday season is COVID. The most recent CDC data show COVID-19 hospitalizations have been declining sharply since summer and levels remain relatively low.
Physicians agree the best way to avoid spreading and contracting viruses is to get vaccinated and stay home if you are sick. Doctors and the CDC recommend early treatment for anyone who gets sick, especially for those at high risk of serious complications.
Lathrop strongly recommends getting the flu vaccine, but said people need to keep in mind it takes about two weeks to develop antibodies and provide protection.
“So be very careful during holiday travel and gatherings,” he said.
“All those gatherings that are so heartwarming and fun and joyous are also an opportunity for this virus to spread person to person,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University, who also urged people to get vaccinated.
We are also likely early in the flu season, which typically lasts until May and tends to peak between December and February.
Regardless of the virus, most can manage their symptoms at home. Doctors emphasize the need for hydration, rest and nutrition.
People who are at high risk of being severely ill from a respiratory virus, including people who are 65 and older, those with diabetes or lung disease and those who are immunocompromised should talk to their health care provider for advice and whether any prescription medicines are needed.
Even those who are at low risk for complications are advised to watch for serious symptoms that require immediate care, such as wheezing or difficulty talking without getting winded, severe chest pain or sudden dizzy spells.
Walking pneumonia, a lung infection, is typically caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae . The name was coined because people with pneumonia caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae can seem better than expected for someone with a lung infection. With mild symptoms, people may not stay home or in bed, leading to “walking pneumonia.”
Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections are common, with an estimated 2 million infections occurring each year in the United States. However, many infections are not diagnosed, so the true number is higher. There’s also no national reporting or dedicated surveillance system to track these infections.
But surveillance data from the CDC shows a notable increase especially among children between 2 and 4 years old.
It’s not yet clear exactly why, but one theory is the rise among young children may be in part of them staying home during pandemic lockdowns instead of going to school or day care. That could mean children didn’t get exposed to or build up immunity to it and are now getting sick.
It can be difficult to distinguish walking pneumonia from COVID, the flu or RSV. One main difference is that instead of easing after a few days, symptoms from Mycoplasma pneumoniae tend to develop gradually and worsen over a few weeks. Symptoms can linger for several weeks.
People with mild infections usually recover on their own. But it’s important to pay attention to symptoms that aren’t resolving because walking pneumonia can turn into a more serious form of pneumonia if left untreated.
Susan Brasher, a registered nurse and assistant professor in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University said symptoms of walking pneumonia can be overlooked and brushed aside as a passing illness during the cold season. She experienced this first hand with her 13-year-old daughter back in September.
“I have over 20 years of experience. But nothing would prepare me to detect and manage pneumonia caused my M. pneumoniae in my own school-aged child and the fierceness in which I had to advocate on her behalf,” she said.
Credit: custom
Credit: custom
Within two days, she saw her daughter’s condition rapidly worsen. She was told by a health care provider her daughter was highly unlikely she would have pneumonia and that “we would know if she had pneumonia.”
She said a health care provider listened to her daughter’s lungs with a stethoscope over her clothes, an approach not recommended as the extra clothes can easily disguise something very serious. Brasher advocated for a chest X-ray — which ended up showing signs of pneumonia.
“From there, our treatment plan changed from doing nothing, she will be fine, to inhaled albuterol every 4 hours, oral steroids, and oral antibiotic,” said Brasher.
Brasher said parents are often the first to notice changes in their child, and their instincts can be a key tool for diagnosis.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
About the Author
