Flu Still Widespread In Virginia And DC, Slows Nationally

The flu season is finally showing signs of slowing down, though 45 states, including Virginia, still reported widespread flu activity, and 32 states reported heavy patient activity at doctors' offices and clinics last week for treatment, U.S. health officials said Friday.

In its weekly report, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 17 pediatric deaths in the week that ended Feb. 24, bringing the total for the season to 114. Virginia reports do not note the number of influenza-associated deaths in either children or adults, but the Virginia Department of Health website shows that the numbers of flu cases confirmed and hospitalizations or emergency room visits have all declined in the past week.

Hospitals continued to be crowded with flu patients, with nearly 82 in 100,000 people requiring hospitalizations. Nationally, the number of people seeking outpatient treatment represented 5 percent of medical appointments, which the CDC said was above its national baseline of 2.2 percent of visits to the doctor's office for the flu.

In Washington, D.C., there were 209 confirmed case the flu during the week of Feb. 18-24, according to the DC Department of Public Health, but no pediatric deaths. For the 2017-2018 influenza season to-date, 2,359 flu cases have been reported in the District.

The flu season normally hangs on through March and can linger into late May. (For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)

This has been one of the most active flu seasons in nearly a decade, surpassing the swine flu epidemic of 2009, and the flu vaccine hasn't worked well this year. Still, health officials say, some protection is better than none and it's still not too late to get a flu shot. Below, find a flu shot in your area.

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted recently to bring back the nasal spray FluMist, a painless way to get the flu vaccine, for the 2018-2019 flu season. Unlike the flu shot, which uses an inactive version of the flu, FluMist contains a live weakened virus to offer protection.

Here are tips to avoid the flu and curb its spread, provided by the Centers for Disease Control:

• Stay home if you are sick. With the exception of seeking medical care, do not go out until 24 hours after your fever has subsided without the use of medication.
• Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces that may have become contaminated with germs.
• Avoid others who are sick.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue. Throw away tissues after use.

To treat the flu, use over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or cough syrup to relieve symptoms.
Rest in bed and drink lots of fluids.

If you contact your doctor within 48 hours of onset of symptoms, you may be able to take an antiviral drug, which will reduce the severity of symptoms and length of the illness.

You can be contagious from one day before and up to seven days after becoming sick.

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