Usually, we see a surge in respiratory illnesses after families gather for Thanksgiving. Most of what we had been seeing up to this time has been rhinoviruses, common cold viruses and not much Covid-19, but that may soon change. Here are a couple of local articles on the subject. Needless to say, if you haven’t been vaccinated flu and Covid-19 (depending on your age and risk factors) you should do it. RSV should also be considered for those 75 years of age and up and for those with underlying conditions which impair their immunity.
A strain that once caused a pandemic is dominant this flu season, causing concern
Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio’s newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.
When most Americans think about 1968, their minds turn to the twin tragedies of the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. They may think of the escalation of the Vietnam War with the Tet Offensive, or anti-war protests that erupted in violence at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Few recall that it was the year the H3N2 variant of the influenza virus emerged in Asia and began a steady march around the globe. It arrived in the United States in September 1968, and by the time it settled into a less virulent, seasonal flu strain in 1970, the H3N2 pandemic had killed between one million and four million people.
H3N2 is the dominant virus so far this flu season, and when that’s the case, public health experts are already on guard. Though it hasn’t been a novel strain in nearly 60 years, H3N2 often packs a punch, bringing with it more severe illness and a higher risk of complications.
This year, there’s an additional wrinkle. The strain of H3N2 that was dominant during flu season in the southern hemisphere — the one that was used to formulate this year’s flu vaccine — has changed. It’s acquired seven mutations, according to Dr. Jason Bowling, professor and infectious disease specialist at UT Health San Antonio. It’s now H3N2, subclade K.
That means this year’s vaccine is a bit of a mismatch.
Fortunately, Bowling pointed out, the circulating flu is still an H3N2 strain, and surveillance in the UK has found the vaccine still offers some protection.
“For children, it was about 75% effective at reducing the risk of going to the ER or ending up admitted to the hospital,” Bowling explained. “For adults, it was about 30 to 40%.”
Bowling explained that these are preliminary numbers and could change, but it’s a reassuring “snapshot” showing that “the vaccine is still effective.”
Reassurances are welcome, because Bowling is part of a chorus of public health experts who are uneasy about how this flu season could unfold.
“I share that concern. I’m worried that we’re gonna have a bumpy flu season,” he said.
Bowling is urging everyone who can get a flu shot to get a flu shot. He blames a drop in vaccine uptake last year for the most severe flu season we’ve had in decades.
“We lost 280 children to flu in the United States last year. That’s unacceptable. That is a record number from 2004,” Bowling stressed.
The best time to get a respiratory virus vaccine is a few weeks before gathering with friends and family for the holiday, Bowling said. That gives the immune system time to build its defenses. The second-best time is now. The Texas Department of State Health Services has recorded a steady increase in emergency room visits for flu over the last three weeks, logging an increase of around 1000 cases each week.
For those who haven’t yet been vaccinated and are at risk for severe disease or complications from a respiratory virus, Bowling recommends wearing a mask in crowded, indoor settings. If you are or have been sick and may be contagious, stay home.
Babies too young to be vaccinated should not be around unvaccinated people. They are vulnerable to influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), COVID, and other vaccine-preventable diseases, which can have serious consequences for them.
A respiratory virus is surging — and Texas hospitalizations are rising fast
It’s respiratory virus season.
Texas is reporting a rise in flu hospitalizations as the respiratory virus season begins in the state.
Tom Merton/Getty Images
As Texas moves deeper into respiratory virus season, state health officials are urging families to take precautions ahead of the holidays. Public data from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) shows flu-related hospitalizations were already on the rise as of November 13.
San Antonio is following a similar trend with influenza cases upticking and flu-related hospital visits, according to Barbara Taylor, an infectious disease specialist at UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio, and at University Health. She told MySA that flu cases are rising as the city heads into the beginning of the flu season.Last year, the United States reported at least 600,000 hospitalizations and tens of thousands of deaths, according to DSHS. The flu season was so severe that the country had its highest rates of flu hospitalizations in nearly 15 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Health officials can’t confirm if the country will see a similar season, but are asking others to be prepared.
Why is there an uptick in flu cases?
As of November 8, the number of flu cases has increased by 34% from November 1, according to public data from the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. Data shows the most positive flu cases are among ages 0-1 and 5-24.
With school back in session, Taylor said that could be why there’s an uptick in flu cases among children. Additionally, San Antonio experienced a cold snap a couple of weeks ago that could have contributed to the increase, Taylor added. In San Antonio, flu cases typically peak in January and February, as temperatures begin to drop.
New flu strain
Regarding global trends, Taylor said there have been reports of severe flu cases in Australia, parts of Asia, the United Kingdom, and Canada, which can serve as a harbinger for what is to come in other regions, including Texas. Taylor said they are paying attention to the global flu season trend, as well as a newer strain that has caused some concern.
A mutated strain called subclade K has been behind the early surges in the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan, according to CNN. While it has caused concern, Taylor said that the new strain is similar to the strain that has antibodies represented in the current flu vaccine.
How to protect yourself from the flu?
To protect yourself from the flu, the most effective measure is to get a flu vaccine, which takes a couple of weeks to become effective, Taylor said. If you get it now, Taylor said you might have some protection for Thanksgiving, but you’ll definitely have protection by Christmas or the winter holidays.
Public health officials recommend that everyone six months of age and older get vaccinated as soon as possible. Older adults, very young children, people with chronic health conditions and pregnant women need to get protection from the flu as they are most at risk, according to the DSHS.
“People in those higher risk groups are more likely to get seriously sick if they do get the flu, and some will inevitably need to be hospitalized and even die from their infections,” said DSHS Commissioner Jennifer Shuford in a November 13 news release.
Taylor said handwashing is crucial to protecting yourself. She added that wearing a mask can be effective as flu is mostly droplet-transmitted. It is also advised to avoid public or communal settings, especially indoors, if you feel unwell.
The flu versus allergies
In Texas, it’s a challenge to determine if your symptoms are flu-related or just allergies, as the seasons overlap with each other, Taylor said. The standard symptoms, like a running nose and sore throat, could be mistaken for allergies. However, Taylor said body aches and fever usually aren’t allergies and could be a telling sign of the flu.
If you are experiencing shortness of breath, Taylor said to seek immediate medical attention. The flu can go from an upper respiratory infection to pneumonia.
How long are you contagious if you have the flu?
The flu can stay contagious for a while, Taylor said. Generally the the guidelines are that you’re most contagious for the first three days after you start experiencing flu-like symptoms. However, Taylor said it can be challenging to determine when those three days started.
“Especially for folks who have allergies and then get the flu, it could be very hard to say, when did this really start?” Taylor said. “Occasionally and unfortunately, you can be contagious a day before you get symptoms with the flu, which is very hard to deal with and hard to avoid, and we see that with many respiratory viruses, flu and COVID and other things where you’re actually shedding the virus before you have symptoms yourself. That’s a real challenge.”
Because of that challenge, Taylor said it’s best to just stay away from public places and others if you’re feeling unwell, especially during the holidays when families are gathering.
“Unfortunately, flu season is upon us. It is somewhat inevitable, but there are all things that we can do both to sort of protect our own health and the health of our family members,” Taylor said. “Every year, we have people die from the flu. We tend not to think about flu as causing deaths, but it definitely does and almost all of those deaths are avoidable.”
Born and raised in San Antonio, Priscilla knows her city well. She has a B.A. in Communications from UIW and has been with the Express-News and MySA since 2019. Priscilla loves writing about hikes, parks and weird sea (and land) creatures in San Antonio and Texas.
