Yes, ‘super flu’ is driving hospitalizations in Lexington, health care officials say
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- UK HealthCare reports surging flu hospitalizations tied to H3N2 subclade K.
- Children’s hospital notes rising child cases; hospitals reported 24 flu inpatients.
- Clinicians urge vaccination, hand hygiene, surface disinfection and isolation.
Flu hospitalizations are surging at UK HealthCare facilities, and doctors with the major Central Kentucky provider say a fast-spreading strain nicknamed the “super flu” is to blame.
“We’ve certainly got a high level of hospitalizations,” Dr. Nicholas Van Sickels, an infectious disease specialist with UK HealthCare, told reporters Wednesday during a virtual news conference. “With kids going back to school, people going back to work, we’re cautiously watching the numbers to see where things go.”
He was joined by Dr. Lindsay Ragsdale, chief medical officer at Kentucky Children’s Hospital, who said that facility is also seeing a corresponding rise in flu cases among children.
“We are really relying on the things that we know help prevent influenza, which is really vaccinations,” Ragsdale said. “We’re encouraging families to talk to their primary care provider about influenza prevention.”
Kentucky is experiencing near-peak levels of influenza-like illness activity, according to the latest available map from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the week ending Dec. 27.
A new, fast-spreading H3N2 flu variant called subclade K and nicknamed “super flu,” is triggering early flu seasons around the globe.
“That same earlier rise is being seen here,” Van Sickels told reporters, adding that last year’s peak didn’t occur until late January or February.
How many hospitalizations is UK HealthCare seeing due to the flu?
According to Van Sickels, “Last week, we were up to almost 40 in the hospital with influenza, broken between our three major sites in Lexington.”
As of Wednesday, that number had fallen somewhat. Van Sickels reported 24 flu-related hospitalizations, including 18 at Albert B. Chandler Hospital, four at Good Samaritan Hospital and two at Golisano Children’s, formerly called Kentucky Children’s Hospital.
Asked by a reporter whether hospital staff have been strained by the surge hospitalizations, Van Sickels said staff are “fully able” to continue caring for patients.
“We can take more. We have prepared for situations like this in our infection prevention and control” and other divisions, Van Sickels said. “We can care for these patients.”
How to avoid catching this year’s ‘super flu’
Offering advice to families, Ragsdale’s chief takeaway is “try to think about prevention.”
Apart from getting vaccinated, “we are trying to encourage hand-washing for children and also trying to wipe down things that they’re touching often,” Ragsdale said. That includes smartphones, doorknobs and light switches.
Ragsdale echoed several tips the CDC recommends to stop the spread of flu, including:
- Covering your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and throwing it away immediately. If you don’t have a tissue on hand, use your elbow.
- Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Alternatively, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Stay home when you’re sick and isolate for at least 24 hours after your fever breaks without medication. Take precautions for several days afterward to avoid further spreading it.
- Avoid close contact with sick people and use indoor ventilation during gatherings. Disinfect commonly used surfaces in your home, such as doorknobs, phones and countertops.
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