DENVER — ‘Tis the season — the flu season, that is.
“It's a great time to get together, and I'm sure people like to share joy, share peace. You don't want to share germs, but we know that when there are gatherings, you know, there's an uptick of cases,” said AdventHealth Southlands attending pediatrician Dr. Olukemi Akinrinola.
Dr. Akinrinola has been busy with the recent increase in patients seeking treatment for influenza.
“Influenza A, for sure, is more compared to last year,” she said.
The latest data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) shows that 728 people in Colorado have been hospitalized with the flu since October 1, marking an earlier arrival to this year's flu season. Nearly a quarter of those hospitalized so far have been children.
Dr. Ned Calonge, the chief medical officer of the CDPHE, put that data into context.
“We know, for example, the overall rate of hospitalizations is about twice that as it was last year,” said Dr. Calonge.
This year, a new variant — subclade K — is making the rounds, and seems to be particularly good at evading immunity conferred by this year's flu vaccine.
“This year's vaccine was based on last year's H3N2 [variant] and so there has been some evidence of a decreased activity against this year's predominant strain,” he said.
Dr. Calonge wants to make it clear though — you should still get your flu shot.
“For kids, it's keeping up to 75% of them from needing emergency care or hospitalization, and almost 40% of adults. So it demonstrates that the flu vaccine still is a very effective tool against the flu viruses this year,” he said.
Twenty-five percent of Coloradans have gotten their flu shot, according to the latest state data.
Wearing a high-quality mask like a N95 or KN95 in public settings, cleaning the air in your home, washing your hands, covering your cough, and seeking treatment early can all help stop the spread — but most importantly:
“When you're sick, stay away from people, because the next person may not be able to handle the condition as easily as you are handling them,” said Dr. Akinrinola.
