Ferguson Medical Group: More flue tests have already been given in 2017 than all of 2016

SIKESTON -- In the first two months of this year, the number of confirmed flu cases by a Sikeston medical group has exceeded the total number in all of 2016.

"This is the most flu cases I've seen since the notorious swine flu in 2009," said Meredith Hooper, laboratory director of Ferguson Medical Group in Sikeston.

To date in 2017, the laboratory staff at FMG have performed 1,523 flu tests, and 283 of those were positive, which is an 18.5 percent positivity rate currently, according to Hooper.

"In 2016, for the entire year -- from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 -- we performed only 1,454 flu tests," Hooper said. "So, in two months in 2017, we've surpassed our one-year number."

Of the 2016 flu tests performed, 120 were positive for the flu, which was 8.25 percent

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting the national percentage of respiratory specimens that are positive currently is at 24.2 percent so our region is a little bit lower than that, but we're still considered higher risk," Hooper said.

Dr. Andrew B. Boldrey, medical director of Ferguson Medical Group, said one thing worth pointing out is the flu test isn't a great test due to the fact there can be false negatives.

"If it is positive, you do in fact have the flu, but just because a test comes back negative doesn't mean you don't have the flu. A lot of diagnoses are made simply on the clinical presentation," Boldrey said.

Hooper noted the CDC is tracking influenza-like illnesses. That means greater than 100-degree fever, a cough and/or sore throat that do not test positive for the flu are still being tracked.

"I would dare say that you could probably double our positive flu cases number," Bolder said. "That's going to give you a better idea of how many flu cases we've actually seen this year because of clinical diagnoses."

The flu has plateaued at its peak, Boldrey said

"We have been equally busy for about six weeks," Boldrey said. "Historically, we used to think that flu comes at Christmas, but that's not what we see anymore. We see flu being pushed off into the later months. So February, March and even into April and sometimes May, we still see influenza A and B."

Hooper noted Ferguson Medical Group is seeing more type B flu cases than what are being reported nationally.

"Our B numbers are pretty high this year. Typically, this far north for whatever reason, we don't see B. It tends to stay more down south, but it's come up this year," Hooper said.

It's hard to say why there are so many more flu cases in these first months of 2017 than in all of 2016, Boldrey said.

"Flu season is historically unpredictable," Boldrey said. "There are many factors that go into it -- who gets exposed to whom and where they share those germs so it can vary from year to year."

As a result, the flu season can be a bad year nationally, but certain pockets won't see it all, he said. Meanwhile, there can be a light flu season nationally, and one area will get hit hard with it, he said.

"It's multi-factorial," Boldrey said. "It's important to get a flu vaccine each year because you never know when your region is going to be affected by flu more significantly than other areas."

Health care providers have learned this year the flu vaccine was very effective, Boldrey said.

"I personally have been tracking my patients who got influenza and received the flu vaccine. I've seen several hundred patients with influenza, and I've had only eight patients who got the flu after having the vaccine," Boldrey said, adding even then the flu vaccine is beneficial because those patients' immune systems have a jumpstart on treating the flu so they get better more quickly and are not nearly as severe.

The flu season is not over, and it's not too late to get the flu vaccine, the pediatrician said.

"There's a misconception that the flu vaccine is an all-winter illness vaccine, and that's not the case. It protects against influenza A and B only. It doesn't protect against colds. It doesn't protect against sinus infections or stomach bugs," Boldrey said.

For the week of Feb. 19-25, the CDC reported 37 influenza-associated deaths in Missouri. In the prior week, 87 deaths involving pneumonia and influenza were reported. For the season to date, 1,301 flu-related deaths have been reported.

"I don't think people quite grasp how severe the flu can be," Boldrey said. "... Those are preventable deaths."

The high-risk population includes infants, elderly, asthmatics and those with with immune system disorders, such as chemotherapy patients.

Pregnant women are also included in the high-risk population.

"The flu vaccine also protects the newborn for the first six months of their lives so if mom gets the flu vaccine, it protects the baby until they can get their own," Boldrey said, adding infants can't receive the flu shot until they're at least 6 months old.

"Any healthy individual who is around those patients is encouraged to get the flu shot because if they get the flu and give it to one of those patients, it can be worse for them," Hooper added.

Early fall -- October or November -- is really optimal time to get the flu vaccine, the pediatrician said.

"Because we see the flu historically get pushed off later into the winter, I do have some concern of patients getting the flu vaccine too early. Typically the flu vaccine lasts about six months so while I appreciate the effort people are making to get the flu vaccine early, you can get it too early. If you get it in May, June, or July, it's going to have worn off by now," Boldrey said.

In addition to the flu vaccine, practicing hand washing etiquette is also helpful.

"Wash your hands, and cover your cough," Hooper said.

Those who feel like they have flu-like symptoms should see their doctors in the first 48 hours, Boldrey said.

"If you catch the condition in the first 48 hours, there are treatment options," he said.

Hooper agreed. Those medicines can shorten the duration of the illness and protect the family members who haven't tested positive yet, she said.

Boldrey speculated the warmer-than-usual weather may be to blame for the surge in flu cases.

"We start to see a lot of illness when people cohort together. When it's cold enough to have indoor recess in schools, that's when kids start spreading germs. When they're outside and more spread out, you don't really see it as much," Boldrey said.

Considering the weather stayed really warm throughout winter, healthcare providers didn't see these winter illnesses until January and February, Boldrey pointed out.

"And then they all hit at the same time," the pediatrician said. "So instead of being consistent with winter illnesses throughout all of the season, they just all clustered together so there was a lot of illness all at once."