GRAND LEDGE, Mich. — Post-holiday flu is hitting Michigan hard this year, with McLaren Health Care reporting an early surge in cases.
- McLaren Health Care official reports a increase in flu cases following the holidays, with double the number of patients compared to four weeks ago.
- This year's flu season is peaking earlier than the typical mid-February timeframe, with a more infectious strain that may extend the outbreak for several additional weeks.
- Despite the surge, health officials say it's not too late to get vaccinated, as the flu shot can still provide protection against the current strain.
"We're very busy there's a lot of people coming in with flu like illnesses," said Dr. John Brooks, Medical Director for Infection Prevention at McLaren Health Care.
Brooks says holiday get-togethers are known to cause an increase in flu cases.
"If we go back four weeks ago we're at least double the number of people that have influenza then they did just before the holiday" Brooks said.
He tells me the timing of this flu season is different than normal.
"Normally we have peak influenza in February, Mid-February is pretty common, we, in the McLaren health system, I tested more people this last week than I did in any week in all of last year so we've had a significant influx of people needing to be tested," Brooks said.
Brooks says this year's strain has been seen to be more infectious.
"So we are a bit concerned that this may be the peak but it's probably going to go on for several more weeks until it settles down, usually from the peak till its over is a couple of weeks but it has not really been seen that way with this particular strain," Brooks said.
Brooks adds it's not too late to get the flu shot which can help protect against the strain.
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