NC Flu Death Toll At 26, Charlotte Hospitals Clamp Down On Visits

Twenty-six people in North Carolina have died from the flu this season — including four deaths during the first week of the year, according to data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Flu is now considered widespread in North Carolina, which means outbreaks have been confirmed in at least half the state. In response, Charlotte area hospital systems are clamping down, restricting children 12 and under from visiting hospital patients beginning Friday.

The death toll in the Tar Heel state is already more than twice that of this same period in last flu season, which has not yet hit the peak, according to The Charlotte Observer. Peak flu season is typically February and March.

“It seems like it’s going to be a worse season than we’ve had the past couple of years,” Catherine Passaretti, the medical director for infection prevention with Carolinas HealthCare System, told the newspaper.

In addition to restricting children under 12 from patient visitation, Carolinas HealthCare System is asking the public at large to refrain from visiting if they feel sick, or have fever, headaches/body aches/pain, a cough or sore throat, stuffy or runny nose or chills, nausea or vomiting/diarrhea.

The tightened visitation policy for children under 12 is in effect at the following Charlotte-metro area hospitals:

• Carolinas Medical Center
• Levine Children’s Hospital
• Carolinas Medical Center-Mercy
• Carolinas HealthCare System NorthEast
• Carolinas HealthCare System Pineville
• Carolinas HealthCare System Union
• Carolinas HealthCare System University
• Carolinas HealthCare System Lincoln
• Carolinas HealthCare System Cleveland
• Carolinas HealthCare System Kings Mountain
• Carolinas HealthCare System Stanly
• Carolinas HealthCare System Anson
• Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge
• Carolinas HealthCare System Behavioral Health-Charlotte
• Carolinas HealthCare System Behavioral Health-Davidson
• Carolinas Rehabilitation-Charlotte
• Carolinas Rehabilitation-NorthEast
• Carolinas Rehabilitation-Mt. Holly
• Carolinas Rehabiltation-Pineville

North Carolina is one of several states around the country where flu has hit hard. Experts believe the current flu season — which extends from Oct. 1, 2017 through May 19, 2018 — will be particularly bad.

This year, the predominant strain of flu circulating in Georgia and around the country is influenza A, or H3N2. This strain can be particularly hard on the very young, people over age 65, or those with existing medical conditions. H3N2 is one of the strains contained in this year's flu vaccine along with two or three others, depending on the vaccine.

Flu symptoms and their intensity can vary from person to person, and can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. If you think you have the flu, call or visit your doctor.

In some cases, healthcare providers may recommend the use of antivirals such as Tamiflu or Relenza. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines that fight against the flu in your body. Antiviral drugs work best for treatment when they are started within two days of getting sick.

Antivirals are used to treat those at high risk for flu complications — young children, the elderly, individuals with underlying medical conditions and women who are pregnant. Most otherwise-healthy people who get the flu, however, do not need to be treated with antiviral drugs.

The Department of Public Health provided a list of ways to help prevent the flu:

• Frequent and thorough hand-washing with soap and warm water.
• Alcohol-based gels are the next best thing if you don't have access to soap and water.
• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing to help prevent the spread of the flu. Use a tissue or cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow or arm.

• Avoid touching your face as flu germs can get into the body through mucus membranes of the nose, mouth and eyes.
• If you are sick, stay home from school or work. Flu sufferers should be free of a fever, without the use of a fever reducer, for at least 24 hours before returning to school or work.
• If you are caring for a sick individual at home, keep them away from common areas of the house and other people as much as possible. If you have more than one bathroom, have the sick person use one and well people use the other. Clean the sick room and the bathroom once a day with household disinfectant. Thoroughly clean linens, eating utensils, and dishes used by the sick person before reusing.
• To learn more about influenza log on to www.flu.gov.

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