Valentine’s and vaccinations — welcome to February.
Along with hearts and flowers, February usually brings a surge in reported flu cases in Scurry County, and this year is shaping up to be no different, healthcare officials said.
“We’re seeing lots and lots of flu, along with mono(nucleosis), strep and RSV,” said Kevin Williams, director of the Cogdell Family Clinic. “Last February was a record-breaking month for us (in number of flu cases), and we’re starting to see some of that again.”
Since the start of the year, more than 80 clinic patients have tested positive for either Flu A or Flu B. In addition, 36 patients have tested positive for RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), a major cause of respiratory illness in young children, while another 24 have been diagnosed with beta strep.
School absences also are on the uptick, and suspected flu and other respiratory ailments are the major cause, school officials said.
Hermleigh ISD Superintendent Brent Dawson said the flu bug is responsible for a dramatic increase in student absences.
“We usually average about 10 absences a day, and we’ve gone up to 30 in the past week,” Dawson said. “Each day, we have to send a handful of students home, and that number is growing each day.”
Snyder ISD has reported absence rates of 11 percent at Snyder High School, 4 percent at Snyder Junior High School, 9 percent at Snyder Intermediate School and 6 percent at Snyder Primary School, Superintendent Jim Kirkland said.
“Overall, that’s not too bad,” Kirkland said. “Obviously, we wish the students were in class, but we definitely don’t want them here if they’re sick.”
Of the school districts in Scurry County, only Ira ISD has avoided the flu bug, for now.
“We’ve been pretty lucky,” said Ira ISD Principal Dale Jones. “We’ve had very few confirmed cases of flu. Our numbers aren’t anywhere near as bad as other schools in the area.”
Flu chiefly attacks the very young or very old, or those with compromised immune systems, although anyone can be stricken. Its chief symptoms are fever, body aches, persistent cough and a runny nose.
While flu is considered a burden more than an illness by most people, in rare cases it can cause serious medical problems and even death, Williams said.
While it is too early to tell if this month will see a similar number of flu cases as in 2016, there are several common-sense steps people can take to avoid adding their name to the statistics, Williams said.
For starters, if you haven’t received a flu vaccination yet, Williams urges people to get one. Vaccinations are available at the clinic, the Scurry County Health Unit and several pharmacies.
There are other steps you can take to avoid the flu bug, starting with avoiding those who have it, Williams said.
“Wash, wash, wash, wash your hands,” he said. “Try to avoid sick people. If you work in an office, sanitize things like your phone, keyboard or mouse, high-traffic touching areas that tend to be overlooked.”
If you suspect you have the bug, “the best thing you can do is come in and get tested,” Williams said. “We want to see you and take care of you.”