Doctors across the country say flu season is here earlier than usual, and hits people – mostly children – especially hard.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it this bad, this fast,” said Dr. Suchitra Rao, an infectious disease specialist at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora. “Our emergency room is full of kids with the flu.”
Colorado is now one of the nation's hot spots for flu activity, according to latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Michigan is also seeing a noticeable increase in cases.
“Flu, flu, flu. Lots of flu,” said Dr. Debra Langlois, a pediatrician at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “We're flooded.”
Dr. John Schieffelin, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, also has seen an increase in severe cases, especially among children who have not gotten flu shots.
“Children who have been vaccinated are doing great” while recovering at home, Schieffelin said. “We see unvaccinated children in the hospital.”
Flu symptoms
Langlois said she and her colleagues are seeing a fair amount of the classic flu symptoms: fever, body aches and extreme fatigue.
Anecdotally, Langlois said she also sees children with severe headaches and dizziness. Her 7-year-old daughter came down with the flu last week and described the feeling as: “I feel dizzy, like I'm dizzy when I try to walk.” Dehydration was the likely cause, Langlois said.
Some children may also experience gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea. But these symptoms can also occur due to a secondary virus.
Children who have a “persistent” fever lasting two to three days should be seen by a doctor, Langlois said.
Is there Tamiflu?
Pharmacies say that demand for the antiviral drug Tamiflu is also growing. When taken within the first 24 hours of flu symptoms, people have been shown to feel better about a day sooner than expected.
A Walgreens spokesman said the pharmacy chain is seeing “very strong demand” for Tamiflu across the country. The company recently saw its stock run out but has since ordered additional supplies, the spokesman said.
Demand for over-the-counter at-home flu tests has jumped 61% nationwide over the past two weeks, according to the Walgreens Respiratory Index, a weekly online tool that tracks the spread of respiratory illnesses. In New York state, where flu activity is considered very high, weekly demand is up 23%, with a two-week increase of 111%, according to the CDC.
Antonio Ciaccia, president of 3 Axis Advisory, a consulting firm specializing in solving supply chain problems, said he has heard from a number of independent pharmacies across the U.S. that say they are struggling to meet demand for Tamiflu.
“We are seeing an early, severe wave of influenza cases, which is likely putting some unexpected pressure on the broader drug distribution and supply pipeline,” Ciaccia said.
Steve Moore, owner of an independent pharmacy in Plattsburgh, New York, said his main supplier has no shortage of Tamiflu. However, its backup supplier is currently out of stock.
While Tamiflu may be helpful, Langlois said it is not a “miracle drug.”
The antiviral is approved for people 2 weeks of age and older and is generally most effective when prescribed within the first 48 hours after the onset of flu symptoms.
“The thing to consider when choosing Tamiflu is that it shortens the duration of symptoms by about a day,” Langlois said. “It’s actually best used for high-risk patients, such as patients with chronic lung disease and young children under 2 years of age.”
If you are sick, stay home
“The best thing is prevention,” Langlois said, “and that’s the flu shot.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends annual influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months of age and older.
Doctors are concerned that children who currently have the flu could pass it on to grandparents and other older adults during the holidays.
“At the risk of becoming the Grinch, if you have the flu and are running a fever, you should stay home. Don't go to family gatherings,” said Dr. Bernard Kamins, medical director of infection prevention at Mount Sinai Health System in New York. “People will understand.”
