With every winter comes the inevitable: flu season. While the season can run from October to May, the flu is usually quite prevalent from December until February. However, the flu seasons are unpredictable, with some more severe than others.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, typically 5 to 20 percent of Americans get the flu each year. Out of those affected, nearly 200,000 people have to go to the hospital and seek medical attention for seasonal flu complications. Unfortunately, severe cases of the flu may lead to death. In fact, from 1975 to 2006, the CDC estimated that there were anywhere from 3,000 to 49,000 deaths caused by the flu.
Because of this, it is important as a travel nurse to stay on top of seasonal flu trends and educate your patients to ensure everyone is protecting himself or herself from the virus as much as possible.
Here is a breakdown of this year’s seasonal flu status.
Each flu season 5 to 20 percent of Americans get the flu, with the overall severity varying from year to year.Distribution of influenza
Each week the CDC releases a surveillance report reflecting the state of the flu. Between Dec. 20 and 26, 2015, the most recent report published by the CDC, the flu became more prevalent compared to previous weeks. Influenza A, specifically H1N1, was the most dominant influenza virus reported that week out of all strains of the virus.
The prevalence of influenza A in week 51 parallels the cumulative flu data since Oct. 4, 2015. From October through December, a total of 59.2 percent of positive flu specimens reviewed by clinical laboratories throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico tested as influenza A. The remaining 40.8 percent of specimens tested as influenza B.
The numbers reported by public health laboratories skewed even higher. The public health laboratories found that 78.8 percent of positive specimens were influenza A (31.6 percent H1N1, 62.7 percent H3 and 5.7 percent were not subtyped). On the other hand, only 21.2 percent of positive specimens tested by public health laboratories were influenza B (31.6 percent Yamagata lineage, 12.3 percent Victoria lineage and 56.1 percent were not tested for lineage).
Where the flu is the most prevalent
While flu activity varies from week to week, U.S. states also have varying levels of influenza activity. According to the aforementioned report from the CDC, North Carolina and Guam reported “widespread” influenza activity. This means that recently North Carolina is the state with the most active reports of influenza.
“North Carolina is the state with the most active reports of influenza.”
However, those were not the only areas documenting flu activity:
- Five states reported “regional” influenza activity: Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
- Twelve states reported “local” influenza activity: Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Utah.
- Twenty-nine states reported “sporadic” influenza: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
In the District of Columbia, Mississippi, Rhode Island and Tennessee, no flu activity was reported. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands did not share their influenza activity, if any, with the CDC.
Walgreens, on the other hand, has another way of gauging flu activity. The pharmacy chain analyzes its retail prescription data related to antiviral medications for influenza. Based on state and geographic levels specific to a market, Walgreens measures the prevalence of influenza. However, this does not reveal the states or towns with the most severe cases of influenza.
For week 51 of 2015, the same week as the CDC data, Walgreens reported that Nevada was the state with the highest level of influenza activity. Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, Arizona and Louisiana rounded out the top 10 states with the most prevalent flu activity.
What nurses should expect this season
As a travel nurse, you should expect to see an influx of patients with influenza symptoms. In fact, in December 2015, the amount of patients seeking healthcare from their provider for flu-like symptoms was higher than average, according to the CDC.
“The majority of your patients will not be vaccinated.”
That the majority of your patients will not be vaccinated. In the 2012-2013 influenza season, only 45 percent of Americans were vaccinated, according to the CDC.
With that being said, it is never too late to advise a flu shot. Dr. Adrienne Green of the University of California San Francisco Medical Center told the UCSF News Center that it is best to get vaccinated, even if it is late in the season.
“Flu season can last well into the spring,” Green explained. “Even if you have not been vaccinated by Thanksgiving or Christmas, it is still protective to get vaccinated.”
Flu tips
As always, it is important to wash your hands frequently while treating patients. This goes for your patients who are not showing signs of the flu as well. The CDC said that seemingly healthy adults can infect others. Specifically, influenza can spread up to 24 hours before patients start to develop symptoms and up to seven days after becoming ill.
Have you seen any particular trends so far during this flu season? What are some of the techniques you use to prevent the spread of the influenza virus when working in hospitals and healthcare centers?