Flu-Like Illness On The Rise: St. Charles Officials

From the City of St. Charles: According to the Kane County Health Department, our region is experiencing an uptick in Influenza-Like Illness (ILI). The agency’s Weekly Influenza Surveillance Summary shows as of December 30, 2017, five participating hospitals reported 9.2% of emergency room visits were for ILI.

The Kane County Health Department encourages the following precautions to prevent the spread of the flu virus:

• Clean your hands - Wash your hands with soap or hand sanitizer and warm water after coughing, sneezing, caring for the sick, using the bathroom or handling garbage or animal waste. Teach your children as well.
• Cover your nose and mouth - Use a tissue when coughing or sneezing. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, or elbow-not your hands.
• Contain your illness - Stay home if you are sick for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.

“These are important steps to prevent further spread of the virus,” said St. Charles Emergency Management Coordinator Emily Kies. “It’s also not too late to consider getting a flu shot, if you haven’t already.”

Influenza vaccines are available at the Kane County Health Department’s Aurora office, many pharmacies and from your family physicians’ offices. It is recommended that everyone over the age of six months get vaccinated.

Kane County Health Department Walk-in Flu Shot Clinic

• Aurora office, 1240 N. Highland Ave.
• Clinic Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
• Cost: $23.87, payable by check or cash
• Call 630-208-3801 for more information.

Go here to read about the death of a 10-year-old Crystal Lake boy.

For more information about fighting the flu, visit the Centers for Disease Control flu information page here.

You can also contact the Kane County Health Department here or the City of St. Charles Emergency Management Agency Coordinator at ekies@stcharlesil.gov or 630-762-7091 for more information.

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