Influenza Increase in Iowa - ABC5 News Des Moines, IA
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by Phil Prazan
@PhilPrazan
It's flu season, and if you're noticing more people getting sick, it's not a coincidence.
Flu cases in Iowa are on the rise.
What's making Iowa's flu numbers go up, is so far there's been three separate strains of the virus found in the state.
The flu activity in Iowa has started earlier this year and is also increasing at a fast pace.
21 hospitals report flu information to state health officials.
Out of those, there's been 49 hospitalizations due to the flu so far this year.
Compare that to only 8 last year.
Pharmacies Saturday said people are becoming aware and coming in to get flu shots.
Public health officials say this is an encouraging sign, but everyone needs to go get a shot.
"The flu is here in Iowa. It's spreading around rapidly and people are getting pretty sick with it. So that tells us that we need to warn the public that if you've not already gotten your flu shot, go get it now. This is acting like it may be a pretty bad flu season this year," says Patricia Quinlisk from the Iowa Department of Public Health.
A simple way to help stop the spread of the flu is to just cover your mouth when you cough and sneeze.
Most flu shots work on all three of those strains of influenza that were found here in Iowa.
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