Flu season has officially arrived. And with the new subclade K variant making the rounds, emergency rooms and urgent care facilities are seeing an increased number of affected patients.
We asked Dr. Meredith Porter, medical director for Inova-GoHealth Urgent Care, about the viruses floating around and how you can protect yourself and your family from illness.
Is it too late to get the flu vaccine?
Flu activity often continues for several months during this time of year, and vaccination can still provide the best meaningful protection — even later in the season. While the vaccine may not prevent every case, it significantly reduces the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and complications. This season, health officials are monitoring a variation of Influenza A — called H3N2 subclade K — which may have a mismatch with this year’s seasonal flu vaccine. While this year’s flu vaccine may not be the most effective prevention, it still provides valuable protection.
What is the subclade K mutation?
Influenza viruses that affect humans are Influenza A — with variants H1N1 and H3N2 — and Influenza B. Subclade K is an H3N2 mutation of the most common Influenza A virus strain that is circulating in our region and causing illness.
Flu viruses consistently change over time. Because our immune systems may not be prepared for these changes, the virus variations can cause more severe symptoms, have higher hospitalization rates, and spread faster. The subclade K mutation occurred after the season’s flu vaccine was developed, and while the flu shot is still the best protection, there may be a mismatch with the vaccine’s efficacy.
What flu symptoms should people be looking out for?
Common flu symptoms include fever, chills, cough, fatigue, body aches, headache, congestion, and runny nose. Keep in mind that most people have mild to moderate symptoms with influenza.
How effective are anti-viral medications?
Antiviral medications are moderately effective for treating influenza and can reduce symptoms by approximately one day and decrease potential complications but should be started within two days (48 hours) of symptoms.
What are your recommendations for at-home treatment?
Best recommendations include staying home when sick, getting plenty of rest, staying hydrated, and using over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, for fever, pain, or body aches. If symptoms last longer than a week or start to worsen, it’s a good idea to visit your local urgent care center for further evaluation and management.
Who is most at risk for complications from the flu?
While anyone can get sick with the flu, those at higher risk for complications are those older than 65 years, people with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women, and young children.
What should you do if you suspect you’ve contracted the flu?
If you do become sick, early testing and evaluation is helpful — especially if you are at higher risk for complications from influenza infections. It is important to seek care with urgent or primary care and avoid emergency rooms, when possible, to help keep emergency departments available for patients who truly need that level of care. If you’re wondering what level of care is right for you, we encourage you to use Inova’s Get Care resource, which helps guide patients to the right level of care for their symptoms.
Is hand sanitizer effective for preventing flu transmission, or hand-washing only?
Hand hygiene is the single most important simple act for preventing infections. Both an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and effective handwashing can reduce the transmission of acute respiratory illnesses.
The No. 1 way to keep germs from spreading is to wash your hands with soap and water frequently for at least 20 seconds. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol is a strong second option when hand-washing isn’t possible, but it should never replace washing your hands with soap and water. When using hand sanitizer, be sure to rub hands together for 15 to 20 seconds to cover all surfaces.
There also seem to be stomach viruses circulating. What symptoms should people be on the lookout for?
A key differentiator from the flu is that norovirus (often called “stomach flu”) is a gastrointestinal illness, whereas seasonal influenza is a respiratory illness. Norovirus tends to come on very suddenly, and the most common symptoms include intense nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhea, and stomach cramps. Norovirus may also cause fever, headache, and body aches which can be confused as an influenza-like illness. The good news is that most symptoms resolve within a couple of days.
For most people, norovirus can usually be managed with rest and staying hydrated with oral rehydration solutions. You should seek medical care if there are any signs of dehydration, such as decreased urination, dark urine, dry mouth, or dizziness. If the nausea and vomiting are intolerable, diarrhea lasts for more than three days or you have any severe stomach pain or any blood in stool or vomit, you should visit an urgent care center or your primary care provider. Older adults, very young children, and people with underlying health conditions need to monitor symptoms closely as they can become dehydrated more quickly.
Feature image courtesy Pormezz/stock.adobe.com
