Flu on the Rise

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Flu season is among us, and influenza activity is rising especially between December and March.

According to the C-D-C, nine states and New York City experienced high influenza like activity. As of last week, Muskingum County had twelve documented cases of the flu in patients that were hospitalized. Only two of them were vaccinated. The flu is typically spread between person to person by coughing and sneezing.

“It is here, and it will get worse. Usually the flu is most active between October and April. But December to March is when we see the greatest number of cases,” said Medical Director of Zanesville-Muskingum Health Department, Dr. Jack Butterfield.

High risk people for the flu include; pregnant women, children younger than five years old, people ages 65 and older, anyone with chronic medical conditions, and health care workers.

“Patients with certain diseases, patients who are immunocompromised. Those would be some of the patients at higher risk. But what do we do for the flu basically we treat the symptoms,” Butterfield added.

With several months of flu season still to go, it is not too late for children or adults to get vaccinated.