5/8/2018
After thousands of cases and a dozen deaths in Lancaster County, the worst flu season in recent memory is finally winding to a close.
In Lancaster County, the weekly number of confirmed flu cases slowly dropped from a high of 1,533 in mid-February to 17 this past week.
“The worst is definitely past us,” said Dr. Dheeraj Taranath, regional medical director for urgent care chain MedExpress, which has one location in Lancaster County.
The center at 4 Rohrerstown Road has noticed a drop-off in cases before other parts of the state and is no longer seeing patients with influenza-like illnesses on a daily basis, he said — good indicators that the flu season is ending locally.
Setting records
Confirmed flu cases is an uneven indicator, because most people aren’t tested and the Pennsylvania Department of Health has been working to increase the number of providers that report test information.
In Lancaster County, 12 deaths have been reported this season, all among people age 65 and older. That’s the same as last season, and the most that LNP and state archives show since 2006, when the state started recording flu data.
The 4,548 cases confirmed here this season is more than double the previous high of 1,810 reported here in 2013.
Flu death details
Pennsylvania had 253 flu deaths this season. Victims by age group:
- 7 were 18 or younger
- 8 were ages 19-49
- 37 were ages 50 to 64
- 201 were 65 or older
Statewide, there have been 253 deaths and 120,322 confirmed cases to date, both by far the highest numbers since 2006.
Department spokesman Nate Wardle noted in an email that the season was severe in part because the H3N2 strain, which the flu vaccine doesn’t handle very well, dominated this season.
And, he said, as is fairly common, there was a surge of influenza B cases later in the season.
Looking ahead
Taranath said it’s possible to get the flu over summer, but between May and September the risk “is usually very small.”
“Before the next flu season, start being mindful of getting the flu shot and taking precautions,” he said. “Just because the next season was bad, doesn’t mean the next season won’t be bad.”
And, he said, as some patients unfortunately experienced, “You can get the flu twice in one year if you get different strains.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that this year’s flu shot was 36 percent effective overall — among the lowest in recent seasons.
Taranath said that doesn’t change his endorsement of the CDC recommendation that almost everyone six months and older get the flu shot every year.
Courtesy of Lancaster Online. Original article can be read here.