For immediate release: January 19, 2018 (18-006)
Contact: Julie Graham, Strategic Communications Office, 360-810-1628
Across Washington, flu taking a toll
on people and medical facilities
What: State health officials issue recommendations for
when and where to get medical care.
Why: Flu illness is
widespread across the state and many health care facilities report full waiting
rooms and a high demand for treatment of flu and other currently circulating
illnesses. To help ease the crowding at medical facilities, state health
officials want the public to know when and where to seek medical care, and to
be on the lookout for warning signs of a potentially life-threatening
situation.
Recommendations:
Unless they require immediate medical
attention, people who have symptoms of flu should contact their doctor before
going to a hospital emergency room.
The emergency room should be used for people
who are very sick. You should not go to the emergency room if you are only
mildly ill. If you have the emergency warning signs of flu sickness (below), you should
go to the emergency room.
In most cases, you should stay home and avoid
contact with other people except to get medical care. Most
people with the flu have mild or moderate illness and do not need medical care
or antiviral drugs.
People who are at higher
risk of flu complications should call their health care provider
for advice if they get symptoms of the flu.
These groups include:
There are some danger/warning signs that
should prompt immediate medical care.
In children:
- Fast breathing or trouble breathing
- Bluish skin color
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Not waking up or not interacting
- Being so irritable that the child does not
want to be held
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with
fever and worse cough
- Fever with a rash
In addition to the signs above, get
medical help right away if an infant has any of these signs:
- Being unable to eat
- Has trouble breathing
- Has no tears when crying
- Significantly fewer wet diapers than normal
In adults:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return
with fever and worse cough
Recommendations for people who don’t have
symptoms of flu:
- Get a flu shot. It’s recommended
for everyone 6 months of age and older. Flu shots are available at most
pharmacies and health care providers across the state. Washington provides
all recommended vaccines, including flu vaccine, at no-cost for kids from
birth through age 18.
- Wash your hands often
with soap and warm water. Use sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available
- Cover your cough
-
Stay away from sick
people as much as possible. It’s possible to spread flu before you even
know you’re sick, so cover your cough, wash your hands often, and stay
home if you begin to feel sick.
Typical symptoms of flu
illness include:
- Fever* or feeling feverish/chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common
in children than adults.
* It’s important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.
The
Department of Health has a weekly
report of influenza activity posted during the flu season. The department’s website is your
source for a healthy dose of
information. Also, find us on Facebook and follow
us on Twitter.
Editor’s note:
The weekly
report is posted by close of business Fridays. We know this is not ideal,
but it is unavoidable as the statistics come from CDC and other sources throughout
the day and are compiled, verified and posted as soon as possible.
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