Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

As coronavirus gains global attention, don’t ignore the flu

Flu Shot

David Goldman / AP

A nurse prepares a flu shot in Atlanta on Feb. 7, 2018.

As worldwide concern increases over a new coronavirus that originated in China, health officials urge residents to take precautions over an even greater threat in America—the flu.

Already, at least 19 million flu cases have been reported in the United States for the 2019-20 season, including 180,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 deaths, according to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Clark County alone has seen more than 800 hospitalizations and 13 local deaths, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.

Stay healthy during flu season

• Avoid close contact with those who are sick.

• Stay home when you’re sick.

• Wash your hands frequently, and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

• Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing.

• Hydrate and get plenty of sleep.

• Disinfect communal or frequently touched surfaces.

Although this season has seen an increase in flu hospitalizations compared with this time last year, the number of deaths is in the typical range, says Dr. Vit Kraushaar, the district’s medical investigator. Still, there have been more reported cases of the flu than the coronavirus, which had infected nearly 25,000 people worldwide—and killed close to 500—at press time.

“Fear over the coronavirus is understandable,” Kraushaar says. “Anytime we have something new we don’t know much about, there’s bound to be a certain level of hysteria. But the flu season happens every year, and tens of thousands of people die.”

That’s why Kraushaar urges the public to take the same precautions over the flu as they would the coronavirus.

Most health experts agree that the flu spreads through tiny droplets created when people cough, sneeze or talk. These go unnoticed as they land in other people’s mouths or noses. People can also catch the flu by touching a surface or object that has the flu virus on it, and then later touching their nose and mouth.

An individual might be contagious before they realize it, with most healthy adults being able to spread it to others one day before exhibiting symptoms and up to seven days after getting sick, according to Nevada health officials. Children and those with weakened immune systems can be contagious for even longer. It takes an average of two days after contracting the illness to start exhibiting symptoms.

“We are in the middle of a flu season, so people should wash their hands frequently, use hand sanitizers and try to avoid touching eyes, hands and mouth. When people get sick, they need to avoid going to work. It’s important to take these measures,” Kraushaar says.

While the flu can be transmitted year-round, flu viruses are most common during the fall and winter, especially between December and February. Flu season in Clark County typically runs from October until April, and in some years, it can last until May, says Dr. Fermin Leguen, the district’s chief medical officer and director of clinical services. Clark County’s flu season generally peaks in January or February, but this year saw an uptick in November, with Nevada reporting the second-most flu cases in the nation behind Louisiana, according to the Walgreens Flu Index.

While Clark County has seen a significant increase in flu cases this year, Nevada remains on the low end of flu activity compared with the rest of the United States, according to the CDC.

Kraushaar says health officials can’t pinpoint the factors that go into an increase in flu activity each season, as they vary from year to year. There are also many different types of flu viruses that are constantly evolving, according to the CDC. This means the composition of U.S. flu vaccines must be changed each year to anticipate which strains will be more active than others, Kraushaar says.

There are four types of flu viruses: Influenza A, B, C and D. Influenza A and B are typically the cases most talked about, since those are the types that cause the yearly seasonal infections.

Influenza A has a large breadth of potential hosts, Kraushaar says, and can be found in many species including humans, birds and pigs. Within Influenza A are four subtypes, the most common of which—H1N1 and H3N2—spread seasonally between humans. Influenza B, on the other hand, is typically only found in humans. It’s divided into two lineages: Victoria, which appears mostly in the U.S., and Yamagata.

It’s estimated that Influenza A infections account for about 75% of overall flu cases each year, with Influenza B the culprit in the other 25%, according to a 2016 study submitted to the National Library of Medicine.

Kraushaar says doctors can’t always predict what type of influenza will be most prevalent each season, and this year’s vaccination proved to be a mismatch, in part. “It wasn’t a good match for the B Victoria lineage,” he says of the current strain of flu that’s particularly dangerous for children.

This year’s flu season took an unexpected twist, with the B strain subverting expectations by coming early in the season. In past years, Influenza B didn’t show up until later.

So far, there have been 343 Influenza B cases reported in Clark County, according to the Health District. That figure remains lower than the number of Influenza A cases, however, which now stand at 484.

The good news is that this year’s vaccine is a strong match for the Influenza A H1N1 strain, which Kraushaar expects will appear later in the season. “I’m hopeful this match will prevent more deaths,” he says.

This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.