patching...
Welcome back, Patch Blogger!

Flu

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Flu Outbreak: Influenza Season Worse Than Last Year

The number of cases seems to be decreasing in Cuyahoga County.

Don’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet—it looks like the flu is easing up in Cuyahoga County, but it’s still worse than last year at this time.  Cuyahoga County provides weekly influenza reports on its website. According to the most recent report, which ended Jan. 12, flu-related hospitalizations in the area were down from the past few weeks—65 hospitalizations compared to about 140 each the previous two weeks. And emergency room and doctor visits for flu-like symptoms were also down.  But there were about 110 more emergency department visits for flu-like symptoms and about 55 more over-the-counter medications purchased per drug store than the same time period last year.  Have you joined Patch yet? Sign up today to post comments, events, …

Friday, January 25, 2013

Flu Outbreak 2012: Influenza Still Widespread

The illness has been reaching high levels across the state and country.

Ohio is in the midst of an “unusually” active influenza season, the Ohio Department of Health reports.  The Cuyahoga County Board of Health tracks influenza activity by the week. According to the most recent report, which ended on Jan. 5, flu activity in the county is still “widespread,” but the figures look a bit better than last week. Solon Schools officials said that they have not had an unusually large number of absences due to illness so far. Flu-related hospitalizations were down a bit after a sharp increase last week. This week, there were 59 flu-related hospitalizations. Last week, there were 134, and the week before, there were 73.  About 4 percent of all emergency department visits were for fever or flu symptoms, down from 4.9 …

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Flu Outbreak 2012: Influenza Still Widespread in Cuyahoga County

The flu has been reaching high levels across the state and country.

Ohio is in the midst of an “unusually” active influenza season, the Ohio Department of Health reports.  The Cuyahoga County Board of Health tracks influenza activity by the week. According to the most recent report, which ended on Jan. 5, flu activity in the county is still “widespread,” but the figures look a bit better than last week. Flu-related hospitalizations were down a bit after a sharp increase last week. This week, there were 59 flu-related hospitalizations. Last week, there were 134, and the week before, there were 73.  About 4 percent of all emergency department visits were for fever or flu symptoms, down from 4.9 percent the week before.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu activity continues to …

Monday, January 7, 2013

Flu Season Picking Up in Cuyahoga County

The number of influenza-related cases has been on the rise in recent weeks.

Make sure you have your tissues and ginger ale ready—flu season is picking up in Cuyahoga County.  The Cuyahoga County Board of Health tracks influenza activity by the week. According to the most recent report, which ended on Dec. 22, there was “widespread” flu activity in the county. About 5 percent of all emergency department visits were for flu-related symptoms during that time, and throughout December, there were about 24 to 34 flu-related hospitalizations each week.  Google.org’s flu trends for Cleveland show numbers increasing rapidly in recent weeks and reaching “intense” levels.  The county’s figures show that complaints for symptoms of the flu—like congestion, coughing and vomiting—are all slightly higher than they were at this …

Friday, December 7, 2012

Where to Get a Flu Shot Near Solon

Flu season typically begins in October and can run through May. Find out what you need to know to protect yourself and your family.

Flu season begins roughly in October, so it's time to start thinking about vaccinating you and your family. Are you guaranteed to get the flu if you don’t get vaccinated against it? Of course not—but here’s why getting a flu vaccine just might be worth your while. The Flu: 101 Influenza, or the "flu,” is a contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses infecting the nose, throat and lungs. Symptoms include muscle or body aches, headaches, cough, sore throat, fatigue, fever or chills, and vomiting and diarrhea (the latter two are more common in kids). The flu can also worsen chronic medical conditions or cause death. Unfortunately, flu viruses can spread easily via infected people coughing, sneezing or even just talking. Folks are …

Got a Hot Tip?