FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Flu activity remains elevated in Fresno County, and it’s impacting hospitals in the region.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
In January, the Fresno County Department of Public Health reported its first flu-related death.<\/p>\n
It’s during the winter, when the flu really thrives, making it easier to spread.<\/p>\n
Kaiser Permanente in Fresno says they’re seeing more patients sick with the virus.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
That mutation is known as “Subclade K.”<\/p>\n
Doctors say this particular strain is highly contagious and causes severe sickness.<\/p>\n
Health leaders are stressing protection from the virus, especially for vulnerable populations, like kids, women who are pregnant and older adults.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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