While the first wave of influenza has apparently subsided, area health professionals are now warning of a second peak likely to arrive in late January or February.<\/p>\n
Recent figures indicate a possible uptick in cases, according to Elizabeth Healy, the infection preventionist at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital (ASHH) in Yankton.<\/p>\n
\u201cYankton County has remained relatively low for influenza numbers,\u201d she said. \u201cBut since influenza continues to rise and has not peaked, healthcare providers know our influx of patients and cases may still be coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
The number of flu-related hospitalizations has increased in recent days, Healy said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAvera Sacred Heart Hospital saw a cluster of hospitalizations early in the fall, and now, we\u2019re seeing more hospitalizations as well,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The Yankton region has reflected national reports of a mutated strain of Influenza A (H3N2) this year, Healy said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMutations are very normal for influenza, as it\u2019s notorious for throwing curveballs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut this year\u2019s changes were more substantial than usual — not enough to spark a pandemic, but enough to fuel a severe season. The timing of this mutation was also terrible, as it was after the flu vaccine formula was finalized in February (2025).\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
In Hutchinson County, the Parkston area may be experiencing a rise in flu cases, according to Lindsay Weber, president and CEO of Avera St. Benedict Health Center.<\/p>\n
She cited a recent finding for her hospital.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur testing positivity rate was 12%, and we have had one hospitalization,\u201d she said. \u201cHowever, we are hearing reports around the community of progressing illness, and we do anticipate more cases in the next week.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hutchinson County currently shows slightly fewer vaccinations this season compared to last year, according to South Dakota state epidemiologist Josh Clayton.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The flu season runs through May, and vaccination percentages are analyzed after the respiratory disease season, he added.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the season, Hutchinson County reported a high positive test rate for flu, but the number of cases coming out of that finding was low because so few people were tested, he said.<\/p>\n
Last month, the state Department of Health (DOH) reported its first two influenza deaths of the 2025-26 season. Both deaths were Minnehaha County residents who were age 65 or older.<\/p>\n
An average of 40 South Dakotans\u2019 deaths each year are reported as flu related, according to the state DOH.<\/p>\n
The elderly and those with chronic health conditions are listed at higher risk if they contract the flu, but children are also vulnerable, Healy said.<\/p>\n
\u201cChildren younger than 2 years old are also at an increased risk,\u201d she said. \u201cNine influenza-associated pediatric deaths have already been reported in the United States.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not too late to receive a flu shot, but now is the time to do so, Healy said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFlu shots take about two weeks for full immunity, but as South Dakota usually peaks with flu in February and stretches into late March, there is still time to be protected,\u201d she said. \u201cVaccination is your best defense against the flu.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also recommended staying at home and, if someone is sick, creating more ventilation in the home and wiping down commonly touched surfaces, such as doorknobs. Those who go out into the public can wear masks to protect themselves and others, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is also important to stay active, such as going for a walk, getting quality sleep, avoiding alcohol and smoking, and eating healthy foods to protect your immune system during the winter months,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t need fancy, expensive supplements to stay healthy. When people are tired and stressed, they are more vulnerable to illnesses.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Like South Dakota, two Nebraska health officials believe their influenza numbers are far higher than officially reported on the dashboard.<\/p>\n
Colleen Hupke serves as executive health director of the Northeast Nebraska Public Health Department, which includes Cedar, Dixon, Thurston and Wayne counties.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI was talking (this week) at a board meeting for our district. What we have for our numbers may be low compared to what it actually is,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are definitely more cases than officially recorded. I would estimate double or triple the number of cases that have been reported.\u201d<\/p>\n
The under-reporting could arise from various reasons, Hupke said.<\/p>\n
In rural areas, hospitals and clinics may not have an electronic connection to the state for reporting data, or a positive flu test may not be reported for other reasons.<\/p>\n
In other instances, flu patients may not go to the doctor or a clinic, she said. People may test themselves or their family members for results or just assume it\u2019s the flu and remain at home for rest and recuperation, she added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe may have gotten away from the climate (of past years) where we\u2019re not always testing like we did for COVID,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The northeast district has seen primarily Influenza A cases, Hupke said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very similar in symptoms to other strains, but a lot of times it\u2019s most likely a bit more severe, although Influenza B can also be severe,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople are feeling sicker than last year (with this particular strain).\u201d<\/p>\n
Influenza A often produces respiratory issues, headaches, congestion and coughing, Hupke said.<\/p>\n
Those most at risk for complications with the flu are similar to COVID: people with underlying lung or heart conditions, the immuno-compromised and those with chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer and asthma.<\/p>\n
Hupke expects another round of flu ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe usually see it when we get to the end of January and into February,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s typically when it\u2019s really cold and everybody stays indoors all the time. It\u2019s also the basketball season when you get large crowds together indoors.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the North Central District Health Department, Elizabeth Parks sees similar \u2013 as well as different — flu aspects in what she called her \u201cvery rural and frontier area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parks serves as the assistant director and public health nurse for the North Central Nebraska Health District. The cluster includes Antelope, Boyd, Brown, Cherry, Holt, Keya Paha, Knox, Pierce and Rock counties.<\/p>\n
\u201cInfluenza A has been rising, which we see in the national trends, while Influenza B is pretty low numbers at this time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Like her neighbors, Parks believes the actual flu numbers are much higher than officially reported, based on data such as school absentee numbers.<\/p>\n
Her health district uses a unique method of collecting information \u2013 one station tracks wastewater that could provide an indication of disease-causing factors.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast week, influenza was trending in a direction we didn\u2019t want to see,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The health district has seen patients with temperatures of 100 to 102 degrees, body aches, cough and fatigue, Parks said. Besides rest, she recommends electrolytes to help replace the lost sodium and potassium.<\/p>\n
She expects a secondary peak in cases next month, following a downward trend after the holidays.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithin the district, we\u2019re seeing average rates so far, but we\u2019re still in the early phases of it. During the next few weeks, if we get a more severe season, we hope we get through it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLuckily, we\u2019re not seeing the figures that they\u2019re experiencing nationally. Hopefully, we see nothing bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
States report \u201cdash boards\u201d with statistics for flu and other diseases. However, those figures may be lower than the actual figures.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe difficult part sometimes about influenza is that people do not always seek medical care and laboratory tests, so the numbers may remain low on the state\u2019s dashboard,\u201d Healy said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you hear about people missing work and kids missing school for several days due to illness. It\u2019s assumed that it\u2019s due to influenza.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also, the ASHH service area may lend itself to under-reporting cases, Healy said. The hospital serves a large geographical area, including surrounding South Dakota counties and parts of Nebraska.<\/p>\n
As a result, the South Dakota Department of Health (DOH) website doesn\u2019t always match what ASHH is seeing in its clinics and emergency departments, she added.<\/p>\n
While the flu has grabbed headlines, COVID-19 remains a major concern, Healy said.<\/p>\n
ASHH is currently seeing either the same or more cases of COVID compared to influenza, she said. People over 65 years old and those with co-morbidities are especially at risk for COVID.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
COVID patients are experiencing different outcomes than before, Healy said. They don\u2019t always present respiratory symptoms but may show significant weakness.<\/p>\n
\u201cCOVID continues to remain a concern, and people at risk for complications should talk to their provider about a COVID vaccination,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Follow @RDockendorf on X.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While the first wave of influenza has apparently subsided, area health professionals are now warning of a second…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":425278,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[1075,97,252,253],"class_list":{"0":"post-425277","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-care","8":"tag-community","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-health-care","11":"tag-healthcare"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=425277"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425277\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/425278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=425277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=425277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=425277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}