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SearchAn infectious disease specialist explains why flu cases seem to be on the rise and offers tips on when to seek medical care for your symptoms.
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CLEVELAND - Now that the holidays are over, more cases of the flu are being reported.
And on top of that, a highly contagious strain is circulating.
“We have one particular strain, which has been dubbed ‘subclade K’, which has really taken off. Probably the reason for that is that it's an H3N2 strain, which is typically a little bit more severe, a little more contagious than the other strains,” said Donald Dumford, MD, infectious disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Dumford said this year’s flu vaccine isn’t a good match for that strain either, which could also be contributing to the spread.
So, what are the symptoms of this specific strain?
He said they typically include cough, sore throat, fever, runny nose, chills and body aches.
Most people can recover at home with supportive care.
However, in more severe cases, a person may need to be hospitalized.
Dr. Dumford said the following groups should let their physician know if they have contracted the flu.
“I always recommend to people that if you do have a bad immune system, if you're elderly, if you have heart problems, lung problems, even things like cirrhosis, anything affecting your immune system, if you are sick with a fever, it's a good idea to check in with your physician, especially with the flu or also with COVID. We can give you medication earlier on, which can help slow down the process and keep you from getting as severe,” said Dr. Dumford.
He adds that while this year’s flu vaccine isn’t a good match for that particular strain, it can still help reduce the severity of illness.
He recommends getting vaccinated if you haven’t already.
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