Indiana flu cases see marked increase as new strain spreads in U.S.

Floyd County Health Officer Dr. Tom Harris, who also works in the Baptist Health Floyd emergency room, said he has seen an increase in flu cases over the past two to three weeks, a rise that is typical around this time of year but worrisome still.

“It looks like it’s probably going to be more severe than usual by the time the flu season is done,” Harris said.

While the flu circulates year-round, typical flu season runs from October to May, according to the Indiana Department of Health’s Indiana influenza dashboard.

The dashboard, which describes the spread and prevalence of influenza-like illness in the state, is updated each Monday. As of this week, the number of flu cases reported by emergency department and urgent care centers has gone up 1.43% from last week. Outpatient health care providers have seen a similar rise, up from 1.34% last week.

Last year, Indiana saw 662 deaths attributed to influenza, the Indiana Department of Health reported. This season, 12 deaths have been reported, four of them during the week of Dec. 29.

Harris said Indiana is seeing a jump in levels of influenza-like illness driven by an aggressive strain called H3N2, a mutation of influenza A. The Indiana Department of Health’s influenza dashboard, which describes the spread and prevalence of influenza-like illness, lists Indiana’s flu activity code as “high.”

“It may be a more prolonged flu season even more than standard with this new, more aggressive form of the flu that’s emerging,” he said. “Anytime there’s a new variant, there’s not that historical immunity to it.”

While there’s been a noticeable spike in people coming into the E.R. with flu symptoms, Harris said tracking cases one-by-one presents challenges given the difficulty of reporting the illness.

“When COVID first started, every case was reported and we knew exactly how many cases there were,” he said. “With flu, it’s not tracked on a one-to-one basis by the state. What we get is numbers and indications.”

He emphasized the importance of getting a yearly flu vaccine, which he said is declining among the general population. Health care officials have been seeing a marked decrease in vaccinations for decades, but particularly within the last few months, Harris said, which doesn’t help the number of cases being reported and people falling ill.

“What’s happened is that basically, since the ‘80s, there’s been a relatively flat rate of vaccination in the general public,” Harris said. “There have been some sectors that have increased the number of people that get the vaccine, but generally it’s healthcare workers or those who actually who work for companies that basically compel them to get the vaccination.”

Harris said there has also been a loss in recent years of attention paid to sickness in schools and workplaces. When people have the flu, he said, they should get tested to check for the presence of other viruses and use medication for fever control if necessary. They should then wait to attend work or school for 24 hours after being fever-free.

“You want to stop the spread in addition to helping the person who has it to recover,” he said. “Both of those things are really helpful. Going to work and coughing on everybody, not so helpful.”

With influenza A, patients typically present with symptoms including high fevers, muscle aches and pains and non-productive cough, Harris said. Patients with underlying medical conditions are particularly at risk for hospitalization.

“It’s nothing to laugh at or sneeze at,” he said. “It’s a definite problem.”

More concerning signs to watch out for are shortness of breath, progressive weakness and lightheadedness, which Harris said should urge people to seek higher-level medical care.

“The bottom line is that if you’re unexpectedly sick and you feel like you’re sicker than normal, then someone should evaluate you,” he said.

He said Baptist Health, like most hospital systems in the Midwest, face increased number of admittances as the flu epidemic continues, leading to longer wait times for treatment and higher hospital censuses.

“We’re already in a scenario in a lot of areas where hospitals hold people in the E.R. because they don’t have enough beds upstairs,” he said. “It’s sort of a trickle-down phenomenon that affects basically inpatient and outpatient health care.”

For people dealing with the flu and looking for ways to cope at home, Harris urges people not to be scared away from treatment methods that can be helpful in lowering fevers, such as Tylenol.

He dismissed concerns surrounding potential correlations between Tylenol and autism for pregnant people, affirming the medication is safe and effective for both parent and fetus.

“Tylenol is a lot safer for the fetus than sustained high fevers,” Harris said. “Take the Tylenol. It’s not going to cause autism. You’ll feel better. The fetus will feel better. It has been used by generations of pregnant women.”

People should also make an effort to get flu vaccinations, which help minimize serious effects and decrease illness rates.

“Most of the big-box pharmacies have flu shots available,” he said. “It takes about two weeks for the flu shot to get the maximum amount of antibodies, but it’s not too late.”