The flu virus has reached Rochester with a vengeance.
Counties all over Upstate New York have seen residents fall victim to the flu and in recent weeks Herkimer County was the only location in the region that did not report any signs of the illness.
All across the state, five children have died due to complications from the illness. One of them was Naples resident Madeline Barton, 11. Barton’s doctors misdiagnosed her illness as an ear infection, and by the time they realized what was actually wreaking havoc in her body, it was too late. The sixth grader died within a day and a half of being taken to the doctor for the first time.
Unfortunately, misdiagnosis or a casual approach to flu has been a problem in Rochester for years. Blood-borne pathogens can live on objects for up to one week, so cleaning and proper hygiene are essential. Many patients simply shrug off the common flu symptoms of muscle aches, congestion, coughing, and fever as being just a head cold. Because of this, the Monroe County Department of Public Health reported to the Democrat and Chronicle that as of January 28, there was a total of three fatalities in adults over age 50 due to the flu, and 168 people have been hospitalized.
All in all, there have been 806 laboratory-confirmed cases of the flu in Monroe county alone.
However, this represents a growing trend across the nation. Within the last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a nationwide increase in flu cases, one of the largest increases in recent years. The CDC says that the flu is incredibly common for those 65 years and older.
As a way to protect yourself against the disease, doctors are recommending getting the influenza vaccine — and it is not too late for those who haven’t gotten it yet. The shot or nose spray is considered 43% effective against the Influenza A strain of the virus and 73% against the Influenza B virus. On average, the flu vaccine’s effectiveness ranges from 60% to 90%.
This year, the predominant virus seen by the CDC was Influenza A.
The Minnesota Department of Health reports that the five most common ways germs are transferred to humans — including the flu virus — are:
- From the nose, mouth, or eyes of the infected to the hands of others
- From the infected person’s hands to food shared with others
- From a person’s food to hands then back to food
- From infected animals to people
- From an infected child to hands then to other children through touch
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