Flu still putting county in bed
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on January 1, 2015 1:46 PM
It seems everybody's got something.
Whether or not it is the flu is another matter.
But medical offices around the county, particularly those of the walk-in "urgent care" variety, have been consistently packed this holiday season.
Cough, fever and general malaise are among the predominant symptoms.
Dr. James Stackhouse of Goldsboro Medical Specialists said in the last 10 days he has seen an uptick of viral illnesses -- body aches, some fever but not necessarily a full-blown flu.
"We're doing our best to keep them out of the office," he said Tuesday. "There's very little we can do for them other than Tamiflu.
"I think I treated 20 people by phone (Monday). The emergency room at the hospital saw 286 people (Monday), just (Monday)."
Stackhouse attributed some of the sickness to the holidays, the increase in travel and exposure to additional people.
Before racing to the doctor's office, he recommends patients call first and have the symptoms assessed. Symptoms could include any combination of fever, chills, sore throat and cough. If the call is made within the first 24 hours and it turns out to be flu, treatment will be easier, he said.
In that case, he said, "getting five days of treatment makes sense."
Tamiflu, a prescription medication used to treat the flu, is more effective for those who have had flu symptoms for no more than two days, he explained.
It is also recommended for those living or working in an environment where they might be exposed to influenza, such as assisted living facilities.
But it is costly, Stackhouse says, even for those with insurance. It could run about $100 for five days' worth of the medication.
There have been reports of shortages of Tamiflu.
"Last week, we had several pharmacies that told us they had run out. This week, they've got plenty," he said. "I think it depends on who orders and stocked up."
For now, the physician said his staff is working to handle the needs of his patients and to keep people of low-risk out of the office.
"So far, of my patients, none have been hospitalized," he said. "We're not really doing the rapid flu test in our office. Most practices are not."
Stackhouse said he expects to see some of the sickness dissipate after the holidays.
Because of his patient age group, Dr. Dave Tayloe, of Goldsboro Pediatrics, is not as confident.
"It's going strong, and I don't see it letting up a bit," he said. "It let up a little bit with school being closed. Sometimes we have a lull in January."
With students returning to classes next week, though, there could be another surge.
Tayloe's practice, which also has offices in Mount Olive, LaGrange and Princeton, has already been handling flu cases.
"I was in LaGrange (Monday) and saw three children under the age of 2 who were positive, and they're the ones in the high-risk group," he said. "I prescribed Tamiflu for all of them and did not get any kind of calls from the pharmacies that they were not able to get it."
There is also another drug on the market being prescribed, under the brand name Relenza, he said. It is an inhaled anti-flu drug, but is not recommended for use by those with chronic lung disease or asthma.
Tayloe said he had not prescribed the medication, which could be used by children or adults capable of inhaling the drug.
The pediatrician also responded to reports that some strains currently circulating are not included in the 2014 version of the flu vaccines, making it appear that the flu shot is ineffective.
"Everything I'm seeing is Influenza A. I'm not seeing Influenza B," he said, adding that he still advises people to take the vaccine.
"If you get in the habit of getting the vaccine every year, there's some built-in immunity. If you really understand flu or take it every year, it's not for yourself. Take the vaccine if you'll be around other people."
Tayloe said it is not too late to get vaccinated, since it can take two to three weeks to build up an immunity.
"The message is, if you're high risk -- under 2 years old, the elderly, those with heart disease, diabetes, COPD, on cancer chemo -- and you think you might be getting the flu, go ahead and contact your physician," Tayloe said.
Both physicians advised taking the necessary precautions to avoid getting sick.
"Hand-washing is about the most important thing the community can do besides taking the vaccine," Tayloe said.
"Hand-washing, don't cough on people, don't drink or eat after people," Stackhouse said. "Stay away from public places if feverish. Go home and drink plenty of fluids. Take Tylenol."