Preparing for a rising flu season
By Eli Parker
For the 2022-2023 cold season , medical professionals are observing a shift in tides in the disease field . Recently , while cases of COVID-19 have decreased in frequency and severity , cases of the flu have drastically risen , and earlier than expected .
Typically , cases of the flu don ’ t see much of a rise until the winter months . However , two pharmaceutical professionals , Weston and Jody Dungan of Advance Care Pharmacy , state that they ’ ve already been handling positive cases during the fall , which they claim is relatively early . They go as far as to deem this rise of cases as “ unusual ” during this time of year .
The Dungans credit this atypical occurrence to the years of precautions that were a result of the recent pandemic . For a long period of time , we limited our exposure to germs and viruses through quarantining , social-distancing , and wearing face masks . As a result , we weren ’ t able to develop those antibodies that help strengthen our immune systems .
Already , there have been at least 329 confirmed cases of the flu in Kentucky this season . According to Weston , it ’ s “ shaping up to be a really bad flu season .”
Signs and symptoms of the flu typically are intense and occur suddenly . High fever , headache , fatigue , dry cough , runny or stuffy nose , muscle aches , nausea , vomiting and diarrhea ( more common in children ) are common symptoms . Complications of the flu can lead to other types of severe infections and worsen pre-existing medical conditions such as heart failure , diabetes , and asthma .
The flu virus is spread by people who are ill through airborne transmission via coughing and sneezing . You may also contract the flu by coming into contact with objects contaminated with the virus .
Medical experts state that the best method of protecting yourself from the flu virus is by getting your annual vaccine . The Dungans further encourage the public to get vaccinated early on in the season before the virus becomes more widespread .
According to the two pharmacists , the goal of the vaccine is to stimulate the immune system to build antibodies against the virus , which typically takes about two weeks . It acts as a way to
32 • SEKY - Life in Southeast Kentucky December 2022