‘Double-Barreled’ Flu Season Slams California In Deadliest Week

LOS ANGELES, CA — Californians are officially in for a double whammy this flu season. As the state grapples with its deadliest period yet — 65 deaths confirmed statewide over the last week — the influenza A/H1N1 virus has finally overtaken influenza B virus as the most dominant strain fueling outbreaks. In a nutshell, that means you could get the flu twice.

As flu-related illnesses nationwide climbed to nearly 19 million cases this week, one health expert said we could be in for a “double-barreled” flu season this year.

That may explain the spike in flu-related deaths across California: older people are more susceptible to the influenza A virus. Of the 211 Californians who have died of the flu since the beginning of the flu season, seven have been babies or children. Since the start of the flu season, California has endured 77 outbreaks.

Patients who haven't yet gotten the flu shot should do so now, Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, chief medical officer for the Los Angeles County Public Health Department recently told Patch. It's highly effective against H1N1.

The B/Victoria strain dominated the start of the flu season, and it was a strain largely immune to this year’s flu shot, but older patients seemed to have some immunity to it — likely because it was the dominant strain decades ago. With A/H1N1 strain on the rise, the two strains are striking back-to-back, and a person’s risk of catching both increases, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist with Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told Healthline.

This pattern is unusual, Schaffner also said, because last year, two A strains struck back-to-back. Someone who catches an A strain virus is somewhat protected from catching another A strain. However, a B strain outbreak followed by an A strain outbreak doesn’t offer much for cross protection, so it’s possible a person could get sick twice, officials said.

In addition to the increase of nearly 4 million cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the death toll from influenza-related illnesses climbed to nearly 10,000 people — 14 this week were children.

Nationally, according to the CDC’s influenza report for the week ending Jan. 25, the percentage of virus specimens testing positive for influenza increased from 25.6 percent for the week ending Jan. 18 to 27.7 percent this week.

LA's Gunzenhauser also recommends a novel approach for vulnerable residents. They should make arrangements with their doctors to access antiviral medications before they get the flu because antiviral medications are most effective when administered within 48 hours of infection.

“The key thing about these medicines is you have to start them right away,” he said. “People at risk for severe complications – people 65 or older, pregnant women, people with heart disease, people on dialysis — should talk to their provider to make arrangements. Many providers will prescribe it over the phone.”

Vulnerable patients should take the medicine at the first sign of fever.

If you have flu symptoms, call a doctor, and if symptoms are extreme, go to the emergency room.

According to the CDC, symptoms of the flu include:

Fever or feeling feverish/chills (though not everyone with flu will have a fever)
Cough
Sore throat
Runny or stuffy nose
Muscle or body aches
Headaches
Fatigue
Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.