Erie County's flu surge continues as cases more than doubled last week

Flu cases surged in Erie County last week, ensuring that some families will be swapping the virus this Christmas along with presents.

Erie County Department of Health officials reported 273 flu cases the week of Dec. 9-15, more than doubling the 242 previous cases reported in the county since flu season started Oct. 1.

This year's flu bug continues to target children, with more than 300 of the cases involving people 18 and younger. Fewer than 25 of the cases are those 65 and older.

Two reasons for the discrepancy could be that older people are more likely to get a flu shot and younger people are spreading the respiratory illness at school.

Twelve county residents have been hospitalized with flu so far this season, or 2% of all cases. There have been no reported deaths due to flu complications, according to the County Health Department.

As originally reported in this story Dec. 14, influenza cases rose significantly the previous week to between 15 and 30 reported cases a day, according to the Erie County Department of Health. What is unusual is that the 201 cases reported so far this season are almost evenly split between type A (110 cases) and type B (91).

"We don't often see that," said Dr. Caroline Colleran, Saint Vincent Hospital's director of emergency medicine. "One difference is that the type B flu is giving some people gastrointestinal symptoms: nausea, vomiting and diarrhea."

Besides seeing both types of flu, doctors also continue to diagnose people with COVID-19 and RSV. Having all three respiratory illnesses circulate at the same time is causing hospital emergency departments and medical offices to fill with coughing, congested, feverish patients.

Though people are going to the ER with flu-like illnesses, most of them aren't being admitted. Hospitalization rates for the viral illnesses remain low, currently at 5% for flu and 3% for RSV.

Thirty-eight county residents with COVID were hospitalized the week ending Dec. 2, according to the County Health Department.

More: COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations rise in Erie County during holiday season. How bad is it?

Despite the relatively few hospitalizations, people need to take precautions to prevent spreading these viruses to friends and family members who are more vulnerable to complications, like pneumonia, said Dr. Frank Tursi, a LECOM Health family medicine physician.

"Have we learned nothing from COVID?" Tursi asked. "Wash your hands, cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing, stay home if you're sick and get vaccinated."

It's too early to know how well this season's flu vaccine protects people, but Tursi and Colleran both said few, if any, patients with flu have told them they received a flu shot this fall.

"What I usually hear is, 'I was going to get a shot,'" Tursi said.

It takes a person about two weeks to develop full immunity from a flu shot, so getting one now will protect someone during peak flu season, which will likely occur in January or February. Vaccine is available at most physician offices, chain pharmacies, and the LECOM Center for Health & Aging, 3910 Schaper Ave.

Erie County's current flu season is different from the 2022-23 season

The 2023-24 flu season is already different from last year. The county had already reported more than 2,000 of its record-high 4,661 cases by Dec. 1, and almost of them were type A.

Type B flu typically sickens a higher percentage of young adults and children than type A does. More than half of this season's cases (through Dec. 8) are people 18 and younger, and only seven cases involve those 65 or older.

"I'm seeing people under the age of 40, especially kids under five," Tursi said. "Some cases are the kids and their parents bring them in, and everyone tests positive for flu."

Nearly everyone who gets the flu recovers on their own, though they should call their physician within the first day of symptom onset if they want an antiviral medication, such as Tamiflu.

Otherwise, they should seek medical treatment if they can't reduce their high fever (102 or higher), have difficulty breathing or have trouble staying hydrated, Colleran said.

"Shortness of breath is the biggest issue," Colleran said. "If you are wheezing or it's difficult to breathe in any way, we should see you in the emergency department."

Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ETNBruce.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie County sees rise in flu cases, though few hospitalizations