By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post
The flu has officially hit the “widespread” status in Ellis County, according Ellis County Health Administrator Butch Schlyer.
The Centers for Disease Control warned of widespread flu this winter when admitting this year’s vaccine was only 23 percent effective compared to previous years of 50 or 60 percent effectiveness.
“The CDC missed the mark this year,” Schlyer said. It leaves millions of Americans at risk of developing serious complications due to the flu.
According to the latest statistics available from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, as of January 20, 620 people in Kansas, including two children, have died this season from the flu or complications from the flu.
“The people most vulnerable to the flu are the very young and the very old, and those people with serious chronic medical conditions that could be worsened because of flu,” Schlyer said.
“As with the elderly–we are just more frail–we have a high risk of developing pneumonia, and when we are younger–infants, children–we are more susceptible to the deficiencies, (and) start talking about dehydration and things of that nature….a little bit of a respiratory problem can become detrimental real fast, ” Schlyer said.
The first symptoms of the flu are fever, body aches and chills.
Schlyer advised when a person first starts to feel “off” and notices a fever, “Stay home. And when we say stay home, we mean stay home, stay away from everything, unless it is to seek medical attention,” adding that people who are not sick should avoid large crowds and should wash their hands frequently.
Hays USD 489 Lead Nurse Mary Ann Shorman said the school district has 15 confirmed cases of the flu as of early Thursday afternoon and there are more children staying home from school with flu-like symptoms and strep throat as well as other illnesses.
“There is a lot of illness going around, but when we look at last year’s records, it is no more than last year at this time,” Shorman said. “It is just that time of year.”
Shorman echoed Schlyer’s thoughts when she advised parents and caregivers to keep their children at home if they are running a fever and recommended waiting 24 hours of being fever-free “without the use of fever-reducing medicines” before returning to school.