MORGANTOWN — The flu claimed the life of a 5-year-old child Monday morning in the emergency room of J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown and has led to the hospitalization of many more locally.
“It (flu season) has been rampant,” said Dr. Kathy Moffett, a WVU Medicine pediatric infectious disease physician.
“We are seeing people of all ages being hospitalized,” Moffett said.
Included in the number of people who have been hospitalized is a 12-year-old who was admitted to Ruby and developed bacterial pneumonia on top of the flu. Moffett said that child will recover but will be in the hospital for “weeks and weeks.”
“It’s not too late to get a flu shot, unless you have already been exposed,” said Moffett, adding Ruby is limiting the number of children visiting patients to limit exposure. It takes 10 to 14 days for a flu vaccine to become effective.
“Don’t send your kids to school if they are sick, and don’t go to work if you’re sick,” she said.
The flu bug has hit the Monongalia School District especially hard since Christmas vacation ended, a district official said.
Since the district’s 12,000 students have returned to class at the end of the holiday break, there have been anywhere from 6% to 16% absentee rate, mostly because of the flu or related viruses. That translates to anywhere from 720 to 1,920 students staying home sick on any given day.
“We are trying to emphasize preventive care,” said Donna Talerico, deputy schools superintendent. “If you are running a fever, don’t come to work. And if your child is running a fever, don’t send them to school.”
The flu — or influenza — typically occurs during the colder months of the year and peaks between December and February, though it can last as long as May, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Flu symptoms include fever, feverish chills, cough, sore throat, runny/stuffy nose, muscle and body aches and headaches. Some flu sufferers may also have vomiting and diarrhea, both of which are more common in children.
Talerico said the district has been using ionized hand sanitizers and encouraging students to use good hygiene to prevent illness.
Mary Wade Triplett, public information officer for the Monongalia County Department of Health, said local flu cases have been on the rise since mid-January.
This year is different from typical flu seasons in that there are more cases of influenza B, health officials have said.
“If you do get the flu, antivirals will lessen the severity and length of time of the illness,” Triplett said in an email.
Influenza B typically shows up toward the end of flu season in March or April, with the A strain typically dominating the early months of the flu season starting in October and peaking in January.
A study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows the B virus killed proportionately more children than the A virus from 2010 to 2016. People over age 65, or who have heart disease or diabetes, as well as pregnant women, are also more susceptible to influenza B.
Vaccines are recommended starting at six months old and for pregnant women. It usually takes two weeks after a vaccine for antibodies to develop. More than 170.7 million doses of the flu vaccine have been distributed in the U.S., according to national health officials.
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