Delmarva battles a bad flu season

If it seems like many of your friends and neighbors have dealt with a bad case of the flu this winter, that’s because the United States, including Delmarva, is facing a bad flu season.  

As of Feb. 14, TidalHealth Peninsula Regional had more than 50 admitted patients diagnosed with Influenza A, said Angie Brittingham, DNP, MS, RN, CEN, CPEN, NEA-BC, CPHQ, chief nurse executive and vice president of patient care services at TidalHealth.  

For the week ending Feb. 15, the TidalHealth lab analyzed 737 respiratory tests. These tests were taken at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional and other locations, including TidalHealth offices in Maryland and Your Doc’s In.    

In the two weeks prior to that, this data showed 574 additional positive Flu A tests, along with 10 for Flu B, 70 for RSV and 97 for COVID-19.  

National and state data 

Nationwide, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting the worst flu season in many years. The CDC has determined this year’s flu season has “high” severity overall and for the three tracked age groups — children, adults and older adults. It’s the first time these have all been “high” since seven years ago.

Maryland and Delaware were among the 46 states reporting “high” or “very high” influenza-like illness activity for the week ending Feb. 8, according to the CDC data. The agency tracks numerous statistics relating to the flu, but the Associated Press and numerous other news organizations are reporting the flu is the worst it has been in 15 years.  

A CDC graph available on the Maryland Department of Health website shows that the weekly flu hospitalization rate per 100,000 people in Maryland has hit levels not seen in any of the previous flu seasons listed (2018-2019 to present).

How to stay healthy 

For those who are sick, staying home is the best way to avoid spreading the illness.  

“Respiratory illnesses are the predominant illness that we see in the hospitals right now,” Brittingham said. “This is not uncommon in the winter months as people congregate inside homes and closer quarters. They often ‘don't feel too bad’ and continue to gather and that is when germs are spread.”  

A little under half of U.S. adults and children received a flu vaccine this season, according to CDC data, though that number was much higher for adults ages 65 and older – almost 70 percent. Pharmacies continue to offer the flu shot.  

Because of the increase in flu and other respiratory illnesses, TidalHealth announced that team members, patients and visitors are required to wear masks while in patient rooms and patient-facing areas, for the time being.  

If you do suspect you have the flu, that doesn’t mean you need to go directly to the hospital. The Maryland Hospital Association offers tips for determining which medical facility to visit. Urgent care facilities, like Your Doc’s In or TidalHealth Immediate Care, are generally a good place to go for flu symptoms. For life-threatening conditions, visit the emergency room.