Virginia flu-related hospitalizations have tripled in the last month

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) — According to the Virginia Department of Health, flu-related hospitalizations have tripled in the past 30 days as the state heads into the height of flu season.

“We continue to see a lot of respiratory illness this time of year. We anticipate that this trend will continue with increasing respiratory activity for the next few weeks following the holiday gatherings and all of the travel,” said Elena Diskin, manager of the Respiratory Disease Program at the Virginia Department of Health.

Packed parking lots at emergency rooms and urgent care clinics across Northern Virginia tell the story – many of the emergency rooms in the area posted wait times of an hour or more by midday on Jan. 2.

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“So right now… about seven percent of all visits to the emergency department are for flu-like illness right now,” Diskin said. “An average of about 60 people being hospitalized every day for influenza in Virginia.”

Diskin said that the flu is spreading particularly quickly among younger populations.

“We do tend to see flu illness and those severe serious complications from flu illness really affecting our younger children,” she said.

Experts say that patients should see their healthcare provider as soon as they become sick – that’s when treatments are most effective.

Even now, in the height of flu season, the Department of Health advises people to get a flu shot.

“It’s still a good time to get your flu shot. I know we talk about that heavily in the Fall, but as long as flu is circulating, which it certainly is right now, it’s still effective,” Diskin said.

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