What you need to know about flu season this year

As we head into the holiday season, another occasion is also upon us: flu season. Family medicine expert Luci Kidd, D.O., takes care of patients at MUSC Health. She makes sure they understand: 

• How to protect themselves from the flu.
• Who’s at highest risk of getting seriously ill or even dying.
• When to get help. 

In this Q&A, she shares her advice with the rest of us.

Q: What kind of flu season are you anticipating?

A: We’re expecting a moderate season across all age groups. This is based on historical trends, including the number of illnesses, hospitalizations and even deaths. Last year's flu season was classified as high severity. It's not common for us to see back-to-back high-severity years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So we’re thinking this one might not be as bad.

Q: When is flu season likely to be at its worst?

A: For the Charleston area, we're likely to see a lot of people are getting the flu in about a month. December, January, February are usually the peak months.

Q: Do experts know which strains are circulating?

A: There's never an exact way to know which influenza strains will be the most prevalent during any season, but public health agencies make predictions based on past viral trends that we have seen and other data. And based on that information, companies make vaccines. 

Q: When is the best time to get flu shots?

A: People six months and older, get it now. This is the right time if you haven’t already.

Q: How else can people protect themselves from the flu?

A: Other things that we can do include being more cognizant of hand hygiene. Studies show that you need to wash your hands for 20 seconds to get rid of germs.

And if you need to be around others who are sick, or they’ve recently been sick, it's good to wear a mask.

Q: What should people know about FluMist, the nasal spray vaccine?

A: FluMist can be a good option for ages  2 through 49. And these should be healthy people with no chronic medical conditions. But it’s important that it be given correctly – ideally, if possible, by a health care provider.

Q: If someone thinks they have the flu, what should they do?

A: The flu has a really striking onset of symptoms. There’s sudden fever, coughs or sore throat, runny nose, headache – any combination of these. And if people do have these symptoms, especially if they've been around sick people, they really should seek care right away.

Q: Some people struggle with deciding when it’s time to see a doctor. What’s your advice?

A: Take it seriously. Typically, when we get worried is when people have had a fever of 102, 103, for three days. They may also have unusual weakness, shortness of breath, any kind of chest pressure, confusion, inability to stay well-hydrated because they’re too nauseous or they're vomiting. They should absolutely seek immediate care.

It's also important to keep in mind that if people have had symptoms for less than 48 hours, they’re a great candidate for Tamiflu. It's very, very effective at shortening the course of illness and symptom severity and preventing complications.

Q: Who is most at risk of getting dangerously ill from the flu?

A: Those who are at higher risk for complications include children under the age of 5, adults over 65, pregnant women and patients with chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, asthma or any other kind of immune-compromising conditions. 

Q: There’s been talk of a decline in flu vaccination. What impact might that have?

A: That is, I think, a huge threat to how the flu season will look in our communities and nationwide. The best we can do as health care providers is to spend a little time educating patients. When I see patients in the office, my nurse has already asked if they would like the flu vaccine. I always follow that up by telling them I highly recommend it. And I explain why.  

It’s especially important for patients with complex chronic medical conditions. They are at much higher risk for serious complications, hospitalizations and even death from influenza or influenza-related complications.