FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Flu activity remains elevated in Fresno County, and it’s impacting hospitals in the region.
“We are encouraging individuals to go to their primary care providers instead of the ER,” Cinthyia Alonso said. “The ER should only be for people with severe injuries and illnesses.”
In January, the Fresno County Department of Public Health reported its first flu-related death.
It’s during the winter, when the flu really thrives, making it easier to spread.
Kaiser Permanente in Fresno says they’re seeing more patients sick with the virus.
“We see more cases in urgent care,” says Dr. Samer Saghbini with Kaiser Permanente. “We see more people seeking help at the emergency room, so it’s much more community spread.”
Dr. Saghbini tells Action News the disease tends to peak around the holidays, adding that it’s usually Influenza A that is the more dominant strain. He explains what’s been driving cases up for this season.
“Since the beginning of the flu season, we have been seeing about 90% of the influenza strain H3,” he said. “To make it a little bit more worse, they had the subplate, meaning there’s a little bit of mutation.”
That mutation is known as “Subclade K.”
Doctors say this particular strain is highly contagious and causes severe sickness.
Health leaders are stressing protection from the virus, especially for vulnerable populations, like kids, women who are pregnant and older adults.
“I tend to look at the flu vaccine like a seat belt,” Dr. Saghbini said. “A seat belt will not protect you from having an accident, but if you have one, it will not be as bad.”
Dr. Saghbini says this year’s flu season isn’t seeing the same numbers compared to last year, but expects the virus to stick around for a while.
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