KANSAS CITY, Mo — Doctors in Kansas City are reporting a significant spike in flu cases. The Kansas City Health Department says there were 510 reports of flu last week in KCMO residents seen by docs in the city. That’s up from 324 the week before. The number is higher than at this time in the past three flu seasons. The department adds that many more cases aren’t reported.
On Monday night a spokeswoman for The University of Kansas Hospital confirmed that a patient died from the flu. Their identity, nor medical history have been released.
At the emergency department of St. Luke’s Hospital, a sign asks people with flu-like symptoms to sit in a separate waiting area. Those symptoms include sudden fever, cough, aches and fatigue. The director advises wearing a mask if you’re going to be around anyone who has or may have flu. Also, he says everyone should wash their hands frequently. Dr. Marc Larsen says flu shots still have benefit although the vaccine isn’t a perfect match for the primary “A” strain this season.
“It’s still doing a good job protecting against flu “B” and H1N1 so it’s giving you partial immunity. The people I’ve seen that have had the flu shots don’t seem to be having quite as severe symptoms as the patients that have been unvaccinated,” said Dr. Larsen.
Doctors can prescribe antiviral medicine to shorten the illness although there are some shortages of the medicines now in places where demand is high.
Dr. Larsen adds that if you’re not feeling well, stay home from holiday gatherings because you don’t want to give a gift — the flu — that will just keep on giving.