Worst flu wave in 5 years sweeps Burke County during the holiday season

A very contagious wave of the flu sweeping through Burke County since early December has filled waiting rooms, spiked sick visits at local physician offices, and pushed respiratory illness back into the spotlight across North Carolina.

Local providers say the surge began about two weeks before Christmas and accelerated rapidly as schools, churches, and workplaces moved into peak holiday season.

Many patients report the classic flu pattern: sudden fever, deep fatigue, heavy body aches, and a cough that settles into the chest and lingers.

“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in patient visits,” said Scott Gallagher, COO of Burke Primary Care family practice. “This is the strongest (outbreak) we’ve seen in five years. … And we’re seeing a little COVID.”

Gallagher said his practice is giving between 30 and 50 flu tests a day.

Driving the acceleration is a combination of the type of flu virus and the Christmas holidays. The current outbreak is the Influenza A (H3N2), which is the only influenza virus known to cause flu pandemics and can spread efficiently among people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Add a packed family around a holiday feast and you’ve got a recipe for trouble.

“It’s very contagious,” Gallagher said. “It will run the household.”

Influenza-like illness accounted for just 1% of emergency department visits statewide during the week of Nov. 8. That share climbed steadily, reaching 5% of all ED visits by the week of Dec. 13. Over the same period, hospital admissions for flu-like symptoms jumped from 81 to 480 — a 493% increase, according to the N. C. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

These spikes are forcing hospitals across the state to impose visitor restrictions, especially for those under the age of 13 years, to help reduce the spread of the virus.

UNC Health Blue Ridge has said that it will impose temporary visitor restrictions beginning Monday, Jan. 5.

Visitors aged 11 and younger will be prohibited from all inpatient areas and all waiting areas.

Visitors older than 11 with respiratory symptoms are prohibited from all inpatient areas and all waiting areas.

Healthy visitors of any age will remain welcome in the hospital’s lobbies and retail/food locations.

“We are experiencing an increase in influenza activity in the community over the past several weeks,” said Director of Infection Prevention Karen Abare. “Most cases are identified as influenza A. The majority of testing is performed using rapid test kits that do not further subtype influenza.

Abare’s prescription for not spreading the flu: “If you are ill, please stay home to avoid spreading influenza to others,” she said. “If you have not already done so, we strongly encourage you to get your flu vaccine. Antiviral medications are available for influenza and can reduce the length and severity of illness, but they must be started early.”

The CDC urges everyone 6 months and older who has not yet been vaccinated this season to get an annual flu shot. About 130 million flu vaccine doses have already been distributed nationally, and vaccination remains the best single tool to prevent severe illness, the CDC says.

Local providers expect flu activity to continue into January and potentially peak later this winter. CDC surveillance suggests the season is still early, with activity expected to remain elevated for weeks.

Vaccination remains available across pharmacies, medical offices, and local health departments, and health officials say it is still not too late to protect yourself and those around you.