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Season at peak for flu
By Krista Brown
Daily News staff writer
It's peak flu season, which is no surprise to those who've already suffered at the hands of the virus this year.
And according to Joe Schurhammer, health officer for the Rock County Health Department, the season won't be ending anytime soon.
“In April and May it starts to taper off,” Schurhammer said. “But right now we're peaking.”
According to data from the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, the southern region of Wisconsin hasn't been getting hit as hard as the rest of the state. The data says all of southern Wisconsin has had moderate flu activity, but elsewhere in the state, the activity level is high.
“The flu is around,” Schurhammer said. “But it hasn't been horrible.”
Flu cases are not reported to the health department, he said, but rather, the state has been tracking pediatric deaths as a result of the flu. While there have been 22 cases nationwide this flu season, only one has been reported in Wisconsin.
“The flu season has been pretty typical this year. I haven't heard anything about it being unusual,” he said.
Aside from the influenza virus, people have also been suffering from what's called respiratory syncytial virus, he said, which is a respiratory illness and the most common cause of bronchitis, croup, ear infections and pneumonia.
Neither the flu nor RSV are reportable diseases. The best way for people to protect themselves against the flu, Schurhammer said, is to get vaccinated.
Sue Fuller, community relations manager for the Winnebago County Health Department, said the county, along with its health partners, provided about 90,000 vaccinations this season, which is typical for the county.
Schurhammer said flu prevention is key, and getting vaccinated before flu season hits is critical.
“It takes time for your body to build up the immunity it needs after a vaccination,” he said.
Flu vaccination clinics generally in late October or early November.
The Beloit School District has seen a lot of sick kids already this year, said Beloit Memorial High School nurse Kathy Pohl.
“February seems to be the busiest time of year for sick kids that I've seen in my tenure as a school nurse,” said Pohl. “We see some flu, some colds, some stomach stuff. I can't say we're seeing a high number of influenza cases, but we've had a lot of sick kids this month.”
And according to Joe Schurhammer, health officer for the Rock County Health Department, the season won't be ending anytime soon.
“In April and May it starts to taper off,” Schurhammer said. “But right now we're peaking.”
According to data from the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, the southern region of Wisconsin hasn't been getting hit as hard as the rest of the state. The data says all of southern Wisconsin has had moderate flu activity, but elsewhere in the state, the activity level is high.
“The flu is around,” Schurhammer said. “But it hasn't been horrible.”
Flu cases are not reported to the health department, he said, but rather, the state has been tracking pediatric deaths as a result of the flu. While there have been 22 cases nationwide this flu season, only one has been reported in Wisconsin.
“The flu season has been pretty typical this year. I haven't heard anything about it being unusual,” he said.
Aside from the influenza virus, people have also been suffering from what's called respiratory syncytial virus, he said, which is a respiratory illness and the most common cause of bronchitis, croup, ear infections and pneumonia.
Neither the flu nor RSV are reportable diseases. The best way for people to protect themselves against the flu, Schurhammer said, is to get vaccinated.
Sue Fuller, community relations manager for the Winnebago County Health Department, said the county, along with its health partners, provided about 90,000 vaccinations this season, which is typical for the county.
Schurhammer said flu prevention is key, and getting vaccinated before flu season hits is critical.
“It takes time for your body to build up the immunity it needs after a vaccination,” he said.
Flu vaccination clinics generally in late October or early November.
The Beloit School District has seen a lot of sick kids already this year, said Beloit Memorial High School nurse Kathy Pohl.
“February seems to be the busiest time of year for sick kids that I've seen in my tenure as a school nurse,” said Pohl. “We see some flu, some colds, some stomach stuff. I can't say we're seeing a high number of influenza cases, but we've had a lot of sick kids this month.”
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