It’s peak flu season in Lexington. What to know about vaccines, COVID-19 and co-infections

The height of flu season in Kentucky is here, and cases in Lexington are on the rise.

Wednesday, The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department reported 133 lab-confirmed cases since the start of flu season – beginning roughly in late September – compared to just four the week prior. Don’t let those figures lull you into a sense of safety around the prevalence of flu in the area, however, said Kevin Hall, communications officer for the LFCHD.

“Most medical providers now don’t do the lab-confirmed tests,” he said Friday. “They’re going to do the rapid tests, and those are not required to be reported to us. So anytime somebody says ‘oh, they’re only X amount of cases of the flu,’ it is just like a fraction of what’s actually in the community.”

The season peaks annually in the area from late January into early February.

Cases are “trending a bit younger” this year, he said, noting an average age of 28 among the local lab-confirmed cases to date.

So what should you know? Here’s some basic information on the flu, COVID-19 and, yes, co-infections:

Are my symptoms from COVID or flu? How soon after contact can I experience symptoms? How long can I spread the flu or COVID to others?

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms for COVID-19 and influenza are similar, often the same, making testing a key factor for diagnosis. Symptoms of both can be body aches, fever, cough, sore throat, chills, fatigue and more. Both can also be asymptomatic infections.

The onset for symptoms can be different, however. The CDC reports those contracting the flu could experience symptoms one to four days after infection. For COVID-19, it’s two to 14 days after infection.

An individual infected with either could spread it to others at least one day before symptom onset, the CDC reports, but those infected with COVID-19 could be contagious for a longer period. Based on studies of prior variants of the coronavirus, contagion could begin two to three days before symptom onset, on average, and carry on another eight days after symptoms.

If you have symptoms, a diagnosis is key, as COVID-19 is more contagious than the flu and can cause more severe illness. Additionally, knowing if you have contracted COVID-19 may be critical if you later suffer from post-conditions, commonly called long covid.

Is it possible I have the flu and COVID-19 at the same time?

Unfortunately, yes. Co-infections of flu and COVID-19 haven’t been a “major problem” to date this year, one health official said on a Monday press call of Lexington-area hospital staff.

“That’s not to say that we won’t have more of a surge in flu, but we haven’t seen a lot of flu this year, so far,” said Dr. Mark Dougherty, an infectious disease specialist with Baptist Health Lexington.

Hall said the LFCHD has confirmed six co-infections this flu season, but anecdotally, staff knows of more.

“It is rare, but it can happen,” he said.

What about testing for flu? When should I seek medical care?

In past years, many otherwise healthy adults experiencing flu symptoms might opt out of testing, but with the omicron variant of the coronavirus surging in recent weeks, more adults may chose to test.

Many rapid PCR tests for COVID-19 can now detect the flu, as well as respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV, Dougherty noted Monday.

Flu positives from those rapid test might not be reported and captured in the health department’s confirmed count.

You can find Lexington-area COVID testing site here.

When should I seek medical care for the flu?

Hall recommends those who are in a high-risk group talk to their medical provider if they contract the flu. Those groups include:

• Adults age 65 and older.
• Children age 5 and under.
• Those who are pregnant.
• Those with underlying conditions, like heart disease.

Those worried about their symptoms can contact their medical provider for recommendations, as well.

Where can I get my flu vaccine?

The good news is flu numbers are currently lower than previous years, Hall said, likely due to increased education around good-health practices like handwashing and mask wearing.

The LFCHD offers free flu shots free of charge to the public. Health insurance is not required. Those vaccines are available Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the clinic on Newtown Pike.

The department has already administered 557 such shots this season, and Hall said they are offering flu and COVID-19 vaccines to individuals during the same visit.

“We do recommend that they get them in different arms, just so you really don’t want to have soreness in both of your arms, in one spot,” Hall said. “But they can be given at the same … visit.”