With flu season underway, local health officials are living by the mantra: It’s not too late to get your flu shot.
"The flu season is far from over," said Susan Dubb, the public health nurse for the Uncas Health District that serves Norwich, Montville, Bozrah, Sprague, Lisbon and Griswold. "I am hearing about many people being out sick from school or work. We have plenty of vaccine available here."
In mid-December, Connecticut became one of 12 states in the country with widespread flu activity, and the contagious respiratory illness continues to spread: 536 people have tested positive for the flu as of Dec. 23 – the latest statistics from the Department of Public Health – up from 197 the first week of December.
A total of 209 hospitalized patients with "laboratory-confirmed influenza" were admitted statewide between Aug. 27 and Dec. 23.
"It’s definitely not too late to get a flu shot," Sarah Healy, infection preventionist at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam, said. "The best prevention tips are: get the flu shot, be sure to wash hands well and frequently, cover your cough and sneezes, avoid close contact with people who are ill.
"Stay home if you are ill."
Statewide, emergency department visits attributed to the "fever/flu syndrome" are continuing to increase and are at 6.5 percent, according to the latest report. The percentage of outpatient visits with flu-like illnesses also continues to be well above the 1 percent level statewide.
The flu has been reported in eight counties, including 36 cases in New London County and eight in Windham County. Hartford County has reported 179 cases – the most in the state.
Dubb said the Uncas Health District has had four laboratory-confirmed reports of the flu, although "that is not necessarily representative of the number of flu cases" that are out there.
"Many walk-in clinics and physician offices perform ‘rapid-testing’ for the flu, for which positive results are not reportable to the local or state health departments," Dubb said.
Bob Sidman, vice president of medical affairs for the East Region of Hartford Healthcare, said Thursday that The William W. Backus Hospital has seen 30 confirmed flu cases.
"That's a little below what we saw last year," he said, adding that between Backus and Windham hospitals officials have tested 300 patients. "We've seen a lot of people come in with respiratory symptoms, but it hasn't been the flu."
At Day Kimball, Healy said officials have had about 11 cases diagnosed with two patients hospitalized. Last year at this time, Day Kimball had 12 diagnosed cases and of those, three were hospitalized.
"There are most likely more cases around the area that have been diagnosed by physicians who do not use our lab," she said.
On Tuesday, Norwich Public Schools Superintendent Abby Dolliver said the district had several staff members and students who called out sick prior to the December break, but this week was back to normal. Various other local districts reported normal attendance.
Rachel Blakley, of Colchester, said she's been experiencing flu-like symptoms since about a week ago.
"It started with a sore throat, then by Monday chills and exhaustion, achy joints," she said. "I haven't been this sick in years."
Sidman said the flu season typically lasts until March, and people who do get the flu shot need to remember that it takes seven to 10 days for the vaccine to take effect.