Official flu totals from Newman Regional Health and Flint Hills Community Center haven’t been announced, but the KVOE listening area — and Kansas as a whole — are seeing a sharp spike in flu activity.
Tammy Patterson, an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse at Newman Regional Health Medical Partners and Pediatrics, says the positive tests are getting more prevalent.
Officially, Kansas is seeing regional flu activity with almost 650 cases of flu reported as of Dec. 21, according to the Department of Health and Environment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists Kansas with high flu activity, along with several neighboring states like Colorado, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Missouri has low levels of flu, while the Arkansas flu activity is listed as moderate.
Patterson says it’s not too late to get a flu shot, even as the flu season has picked up in intensity. Frequent hand-washing, using the so-called “vampire cough” of coughing into your elbow and simply staying home if you have symptoms are all recommended to prevent the spread of the flu.
In addition, Patterson says there are a lot of respiratory illnesses floating around, like the common cold, bronchitis and ear infections.
Click here for information from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Click here for information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
