MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — As the number of confirmed flu cases continues growing everyday across America, so do the numbers in Baldwin County, local and state health experts say.

An influx of patients with flu-like symptoms have been treated in the emergency room of Navicent Health Baldwin in Milledgeville this year, according to Corey Hutcheson, who serves as quality coordinator at the local hospital.

In January alone, a total of 880 patients visited the hospital with flu-like symptoms, Hutcheson told The Union-Recorder Monday during a telephone conference call.

When comparing that number to January 2017, this year’s figure is more than doubled that of a year ago when 403 people came to the local hospital with flu-like symptoms, he said.

“Of the 880 patients that have come to our ER, about 19 percent of them have tested positive for the flu,” Hutcheson said. “We’ve actually had 171 patients diagnosed with the flu in our ER this year. The ER has been very busy with flu cases so far this year.”

Hutcheson said that figure included both strains of the virus, A and B.

Navicent Health Baldwin services residents in seven counties around Baldwin County and Milledgeville, Hutcheson said. 

Some of those diagnosed with the flu are currently hospitalized, according to Navicent Health Baldwin Nursing Director Lorraine Daniel.

“The Centers for Disease Control (CDC in Atlanta) says that 24 hours before people have symptoms you can be passing those droplets to other people, so it’s important to keep all children and adults, alike, but especially children out of school if they have any symptoms, such as a fever, chills, fatigue — any of those things, or a horrible cough,” Hutcheson said. “A lot of people seem to think it’s a sinus infection or some type of respiratory illness, but any of those things can develop into the flu.”

One of the best ways to possibly avoid getting the flu is to remember the importance of washing your hands as often as possible, Hutcheson said.

“Because the flu is spread by droplets, it is important that when people cough that they cough into their elbows and not in the direction of other people,” Hutcheson said.

He pointed out that local schools had been involved in cleaning all surfaces, such as desks, in the classrooms with a germicide to keep down the spread of germs.

“You should make sure that things are sanitized more so than usual,” Hutcheson said.

The flu season normally runs from October through March.

Fortunately, public and private schools in Baldwin County haven’t been hit as hard as other school districts in many parts of Georgia or in other states, according to officials.

“We’re just hitting the peak of the flu season, but I think it’s going to extend well past that time period this year, Hutcheson said.

Some health experts have even predicted that the flu season could stretch on from now until possibly sometime in May.

Such is not uncommon.

Every year from October through mid-May, officials with the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) track activities with this particular virus and reports its findings in the Georgia Weekly Influenza Report. 

Coupled with other surveillance components, influenza-like illness is tracked with the help of volunteer sentinel providers (private providers, occupational health providers, student health clinics and hospital emergency departments) as part of the CDC’s ILINet program.

While each case of the flu is not reportable to state health officials, the DPH does monitor flu activity by watching the percent of doctor’s visits that are for influenza-like illness. When such doctor visits show a sign of increase as compared to baseline levels, health officials then suspect that influenza is active in a particular area. Baseline levels are considered to be 0 to 3 percent.

Megan Allen, a spokeswoman with Navicent Health Systems Inc. in Macon, which owns and manages the local hospital, said those with flu-like symptoms should go to area hospital emergency rooms to be accessed.

Flu-like symptoms may include:

• Running a fever or feeling feverish and experiencing chills.
• Having a sore throat and coughing.
• Having a stuffy or runny nose.
• Having aches and pains throughout the body, including muscles.
• Experiencing a headache.
• Fatigue.

Like the situation in Milledgeville and Baldwin County, flu cases are on the rise across Georgia and elsewhere in the country.

Already, in Georgia the flu has been blamed for the deaths of two children, ages 5 and 15. Across the country, many other deaths have also been blamed on this year’s influenza outbreak.

So what is influenza and how many people on average get it every year in America?

It’s a viral illness that causes fever, sore throat, muscle and body aches and is accompanied by coughing. Influenza weakens a person’s immune system and can lead to serious health-related complications such as bacterial pneumonia. Influenza can also cause existing chronic health problems such as heart disease and diabetes to become worse.

In an average flu season, 36,000 people die from the illness, while another 200,000 people have to be hospitalized.

Many people, especially children, those who are elderly, and pregnant women and others with certain chronic health conditions are more likely to experience complications related to influenza, according to health experts.

One of the best ways to avoid getting the flu is to get a yearly flu vaccine shot.

Free flu shots are still available at the Baldwin County Department of Public Heath. 

Here are some other tips for avoiding influenza offered by the DPH to prevent possibly getting the flu:

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when sneezing or coughing.

• If a tissue is not available, sneeze or cough into your sleeve to contain the droplets. Health experts emphasize for people not to sneeze or cough into your hands.
• Clean hands with soap and water or decontaminate hands with an alcohol-based hand santitizer.
• And stay home, if feeling sick.