A spike in influenza cases has health officials warning residents to stay home if they feel sick and get vaccinated.
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Western NSW Local Health District’s nursing and midwifery director Adrian Fahy said influenza notifications for 2017 had almost doubled compared to this time last year.
“In 2017 to date there have been 559 influenza notifications across the district, compared to 323 for the same period last year,” Mr Fahy said.
“While our hospitals are prepared for the winter peak, there is a lot that people can do to keep themselves well and to prevent a trip to hospital.”
Mr Fahy said the state’s hospitals planned for increased demands on services each winter.
“The number of people coming to the emergency department with respiratory problems or flu-like illnesses is up on previous years, particularly in our base hospitals,” Mr Fahy said.
“These surges are related not just to influenza but to a range of illnesses, and the system is managing very well, thanks to the hard work of hospital staff.”
Colour City Medical Practice’s principal GP Ruanna Levi urged people to stay at home if they felt sick and had flu-like symptoms.
“People are most contagious when they’re in the early phase of the illness,” Dr Levi said.
She said influenza could spread through water droplets in people’s breath, with hand washing one of the best ways to stem the spread – especially for people handling money.
As well a number of active strains of influenza, adenovirus, [human] parvovirus and rhinovirus could create similar symptoms.
“Often people can contract a different [virus] after the other,” Dr Levi said.
Dr Levi said the biggest rates of transmission were often between people aged 10 to 17-years-old.
“They often don’t get as sick as older people or younger people and they’re often not coming into the doctor,” she said.
“People who are sick need to stay home and not cough and spread the virus through the shopping centre or the office.”
Mr Fahy said vaccination remained one of the best protections against influenza however it’s no surprise to hear the number of reported cases of influenza had been rising since 2009.
“It’s still not too late to vaccinate this season,” he said.
The people most at risk were pregnant women, people over 65-years old, as well as people with asthma and heart conditions.
“The vaccination is free for these groups under the national immunisation program,” Mr Fahy said.
Mr Fahy said people can call the 24-hour HealthDirect on 1800 022 222 to speak a nurse.