Local public health officials are reporting an increase in flu and norovirus and are encouraging actions to prevent additional spread and protect your health.
“We are seeing a lot of viral spread right now, particularly flu and norovirus. It is important to take actions to protect ourselves, loved ones and the community. Getting sick with these viruses is no fun, even if you are fortunate enough to have a mild case. We can use the tools we have to protect ourselves, especially if we have health conditions that may make us more likely to have severe illness. Please talk with your healthcare provider, pharmacist, or call our office to make a plan to update your flu vaccine. It’s not too late to get a vaccine as we are still experiencing a high level of virus in the community,” stated Jennifer Greene, Health Director, AppHealthCare.
Influenza (flu)
Flu, along with COVID-19 and RSV which are other respiratory viruses like the flu, are monitored by key metrics including Emergency Department visits, hospital admissions and wastewater. According to the North Carolina Respiratory Virus Dashboard, there has been a steady increase in influenza-like illness over the past couple of weeks. A similar trend can be seen nationwide, where there have been record flu rates this year.
Flu Vaccine
Since there are high levels of flu virus circulating, there is still time to get a flu vaccine if you haven’t already. There are benefits to receiving the flu vaccine each year. Flu vaccination can:
- Protect people who are at greater risk of becoming seriously ill from flu, like older adults, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions (including obesity) and young children,
- Make illness milder and reduce the risk of more serious outcomes, and
- Protect pregnant women and their developing babies
Treatment
Antiviral treatment is available for individuals who test positive for the flu and is prescribed by a healthcare provider. If you’re feeling sick, visit a healthcare provider to get tested.
Take actions to stay healthy and prevent illness from the flu
- Stay home if you’re sick and seek medical care for treatment as directed by a healthcare provider
- Get a flu vaccine to prevent serious illness, especially if you are at higher risk
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water – use hand sanitizer if soap and water isn’t readily available
- Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze
Norovirus
Locally, AppHealthCare has seen an increase in reports from individuals who are experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) illness symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and nausea.
There are many types of noroviruses and many different ways a person can become infected. Norovirus spreads from person to person through contact with sick people, contaminated surfaces, food and water. Individuals with norovirus can shed billions of norovirus particles, and it only takes a few norovirus particles to make you and other people sick.
Common causes of infection include having direct contact with someone with norovirus, such as through caregiving, sharing food or eating utensils, or eating food handled by them. Additionally, touching contaminated surfaces or objects, especially in shared or public restrooms where sick individuals have used the same facilities, without careful handwashing, can lead to infection.
For most people who get norovirus, symptoms can be managed at home. However, seek medical care as needed.
The most common symptoms of norovirus (also known as the “stomach flu” or “stomach bug”) are:
- Diarrhea,
- Vomiting,
- Nausea,
- Stomach pain,
- Other symptoms include: fever, headache and body aches.
Take actions to stay healthy and prevent illness from norovirus
- Stay home when you are sick. You are most contagious when you first have symptoms of norovirus illness, especially vomiting, and during the first few days after you feel better. Stay home when sick with norovirus and for two days after symptoms stop.
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, especially after using the toilet, changing diapers, preparing and handling food and taking or giving someone else medicine. When using the restroom, avoid touching sink faucets after washing your hands by using paper towels to turn off the water.
- Hand sanitizers do not work well to kill noroviruses. You can use hand sanitizers but they should not take the place of handwashing.
- Handle and prepare food safely. Wash fruits and vegetables well. Cook foods to the appropriate internal temperature. Routinely clean and sanitize kitchen utensils, counters and surfaces.
- Do not prepare and handle food or care for others when you are sick. You should not prepare food for others or provide healthcare while you are sick and for at least 2 days (48 hours) after symptoms stop. This also applies to sick workers in restaurants, schools, child care centers, long-term care facilities, and other places where they may expose people to norovirus.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces. After someone vomits or has diarrhea, always clean well and disinfect the entire area immediately with a bleach-based product. To disinfect, you should use a chlorine bleach solution with a concentration of 1,000 to 5,000 ppm (5 to 25 tablespoons of household bleach [5% to 8%] per gallon of water) or use an EPA-registered disinfecting product against norovirus.
- Wear personal protective equipment including a mask and disposable gloves while wiping the entire area with paper towels and discard them in a plastic trash bag.
- Disinfect the area as directed on the product label.
- Leave the bleach disinfectant on the affected area for at least 5 minutes.
- Clean the entire area again with soap and hot water.
- Wash laundry, take out the trash, and wash your hands.
- Wash laundry well. Immediately remove and wash clothes or linens that may have been soiled with vomit or feces.
- Wear disposable gloves.
- Handle items carefully without shaking them.
- Wash the items with detergent and hot water at the maximum available cycle length and then machine dry them at the highest heat setting.
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
Additional Resources
For up-to-date information and data on respiratory virus activity in North Carolina, visit the North Carolina Respiratory Virus Dashboard.
The AppHealthCare Call Center is available Monday through Friday 8:00-4:45pm at (828) 795-1970 to help answer your questions.
AppHealthCare is available and on-call 24/7 to respond to public health emergencies. To reach AppHealthCare, call (828) 795-1970 and follow the prompts. For more information, visit www.AppHealthCare.com and follow Facebook or Twitter.
###