Though it’s not yet peak flu season, hundreds of people in Onondaga County have already contracted the virus.

There have been 657 confirmed cases of the flu in Onondaga County so far this season, per county flu data. And central New York has been hit at a higher rate than the rest of the state in the past week, said Karyn Johnson, a public health educator at the Onondaga County Health Department.

“So far this year, the cases are up higher than they were last year at this time, but it is hard to say why,” Johnson said.

She said the flu this year is from one of two strains: A or B. Johnson said 97 cases of the total 186 cases in the county were from strain B and 89 cases were from strain A. The county usually sees strain B cases later in the flu season, Johnson said.

“We are getting a late start and that is why we are seeing both at the same time. We usually see flu B peak later in the year … end of February, beginning of March,” she said.

Johnson said the vaccine for one strain of A flu does not seem to be effective this year.

In an email, Darryl Geddes, director of public and media relations at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University, said at this time of the year the hospital expects to see an uptick in emergency room visits because of the flu.

Geddes also said the hospital is taking measures to prevent the spread of the flu by ensuring staff and patients are immunized with flu shots. Someone with flu-like systems should not visit the hospital, he added.

Karin Davenport, communications specialist of the Syracuse City School District, said the district is following procedures to address the flu provided by the Onondaga County Health Department. She also said the schools are not overwhelmed with students that have contracted the flu virus at this moment.

Johnson said county officials are seeing more people hospitalized with flu symptoms in the 18- to 49-year-old range and the 65-and-over range. There is a gap between the 18- to 49-year-old group and the 65-and-over group because the county has focused on educating the younger and older populations, Johnson said.

“We know for the older populations, the vaccines are not as effective for them because their immune systems are weaker,” Johnson said.

The 18- to 49-year-old group has the lowest rate of flu vaccinations, so the health department is working to reach out to that group, she added.

The best way for residents to protect themselves against the flu virus is to practice good hygiene habits, such as hand-washing, Johnson said. She also said people should get the flu vaccination.

Even with the vaccine, people can get the flu, Johnson said. But the illness may be less severe, she added.

Flu symptoms can evolve into pneumonia, and complications from flu symptoms have also led to death.

No deaths have been reported in Onondaga County from flu-related illnesses, Johnson said, but it’s not uncommon for someone to die from the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that, in recent years in the U.S., between 12,000 and 56,000 people have died from the flu.

Published on January 15, 2018 at 10:01 pm

Contact Bianca: bmoorman@syr.edu