As flu soars in Georgia and South Carolina, here are some tips
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Health experts are urging people to stay safe during the holidays flu cases rise in a region that has among the highest rates in the U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says this time of year is the peak of flu season and that there have been elevated cases of the flu, COVID-19 and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus.
Earlier this week, officials announced South Carolina had suffered the season’s first flu death of a child, an Upstate resident.
South Carolina and Louisiana are the only two states with a “very high” flu rate – and Georgia isn’t far behind with a “high” rating.
The best prevention is vaccination, experts say.
Dr. Robert Oliverio at Roper St. Francis Healthcare says age is a key factor in the severity of respiratory illnesses.
He said more children under age 4 are coming down with RSV and are being hospitalized because of it.
He said these viruses also can be a risk for people of older age, but especially people with other medical conditions such as heart problems, diabetes, emphysema, lung problems, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
He said if you are worried about getting the diseases, you should avoid large gatherings because viral infections are normally transferred in the air through respiratory droplets.
He said the top recommendation he has is to get vaccinated, though.
“Vaccination does not necessarily protect you. It’s not magic. It doesn’t necessarily keep the disease away, but if you get the disease, it allows your body to fight it off so much more effectively,” Oliverio said.
Oliverio also said he recommends getting vaccinated even if you are not worried about yourself. He said being vaccinated can help those around you as well.
Oliverio said vaccination rates are really low right now and he believes that could be contributing to this rise in respiratory viruses.
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He said right now, less than 50% of people have gotten their flu vaccine.
In September, a new COVID-19 vaccine was released. Oliverio said that since it has come out, only approximately 17% of adults and 7-8% of children have gotten it.
Oliverio said that while there are significant increases in cases of respiratory illnesses, this is not completely out of the ordinary.
“It’s that time of year. This is the normal cycle. Back when we had the pandemic and were in the midst of all of that and everybody masked, we didn’t see this. It just didn’t happen,” Oliverio said, “We didn’t see a lot of flu. We saw a lot of COVID-19 but not a lot of flu. We’re now back to our normal pattern.”
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