The sounds of sniffling and nose-blowing are common this time of year, with cold and flu season in full swing. However, the month of February saw an overall decline in Lee County’s flu cases as a result of the work of East Alabama Medical Clinic’s team of well-trained staff, said Brooke Bailey, EAMC's infection prevention director.
EAMC began taking necessary precautions in advance of future outbreaks in early fall. Winter of 2018 was recorded as having the greatest number of end-of-season flu hospitalization estimates since the agency started tracking this data in 2010, according to the Center for Disease Control.
The hospital ensured all of its employees were vaccinated against influenza in order to equip itself to handle incoming illnesses. The hospital also set up flu stations at every entrance. A total of 338 positive cases of flu have been reported up to the end of February, Bailey said.
This is a sharp decrease from EAMC’s 675 incidents in the same period last year. EAMC ensures the same prevention procedures are followed annually due to the unpredictability of these viruses.
“Flu seasons act differently from year to year," Bailey said. "[They] are not mandatorily tracked, so they’re not something you can give a true overlook of. You have certain healthcare facilities and physician offices who will report cases, and then the CDC uses that to give a general picture of what percentage of vaccination rates there is.”
While there continues to be widespread flu activity across the state and country, as measured by the CDC, EAMC has seen an overall drop-off in flu patients since January, with its peak occurring a month ahead of time in December, Bailey said.
It appears the state might be soon to follow, according to a recent flu report released by the Alabama Department of Public Health.
The report shows 7.3 percent of the population carrying flu-like illnesses, a lower count than the week prior. The East Central region, which contains Lee County, sits below that average at 6.1 percent.
“It changes from year to year, so you can’t always say that this year we had 50 percent less cases and next year we expect the same," Bailey said. "There are a lot of factors to influence that and can contribute to that."
To minimize these factors, another practice the hospital carries out is separating and triaging patients with flu symptoms in the ER from others. It also occasionally prohibits younger children from visiting, depending on the severity of the season.
This flu season has seen H1N1 and type A viruses as the dominant circulating forms throughout Lee County and the rest of the country. H3 was also observed recently in the East Central region, according to a Feb. 23 report from the ADPH.
A total of 55 flu-like illnesses were traced during that week, only one in the East Central division. However, no new outbreaks of confirmed influenza occurred throughout Alabama in the same period.
“There are many types of flu viruses and the CDC does depend on certain healthcare facilities to give specimens to each state health department so they can look and see what is predominantly circulating each year,” Bailey said. “They use that information to help formulate the flu vaccine for the following year.”
After considering trends from previous years, Bailey estimated the flu season to wind down toward the end of March.
To avoid a trip to EAMC for flu-like symptoms, Bailey said people should get vaccinated, stay at home when feeling ill, cover their mouths while coughing and wash their hands. The hospital will be offering flu vaccinations through the remainder of the month.
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