KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The flu is still widespread in 48 states including both Kansas and Missouri and federal health officials fear it will likely get worse.
Johnson County schools have had a large increase in flu activity.
The Johnson County Health Department said 10 schools have reported greater than 10 percent absenteeism due to influenza-like illness in the last week.
The health department tweeted out today that children should remain home until they are fever-free without the use of medication for a full 24 hours.
Schools are one of the places the virus is easily spread, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, M.D., an infectious disease physician at the University of Kansas Health System.
“High traffic areas for sure. But again, also people coughing and sneezing and not covering their cough,” said Dr. Hawkinson.
Other high traffic areas include offices and stores.
Some people are taking a lot of precautions.
“Every time I come to the store I make sure that I have my hand sanitizer,” said Marilyn Pace who was shopping at Hen House, "It's worked so far. You just have to be very aware of all that stuff."
Pace said she knows a lot of people touch the carts and she’s not messing around when it comes to the flu.
Hawkinson said it’s a good move.
“Hand hygiene is very important, washing your hands frequently or using alcohol rubs, avoiding touching your eyes, your nose, your mouth," said Harkinson.
The University of Kansas Health System has had an increase in flu-related visits.
"There's certainly been an uptrend for the past few weeks of influenza infection, but also patients who are coming in just to be tested,” said Hawkinson, "Hopefully it is going to be improving as far as number of patients coming in but also number of positive tests for influenza."
So far this season, they’ve had 913 patients test positive for Influenza within the health system, 162 of those patients were just in the last week.
There are currently 17 patients admitted with influenza right now.
Officials said they’ve been running steady at 20 flu patients hospitalized per week. They said this is going down as one of the more aggressive flu seasons in recent history for the University of Kansas Health System.
But according to the Center for Disease Control, the flu season will likely get worse before it gets better.
Dr. Hawkinson said the flu virus is passed along through coughing, sneezing and poor hand hygiene. He said being too close to someone coughing or sneezing is all it takes.
"I think just being in the vicinity, three to six feet your certainly at risk of picking up the virus," said Hawkinson.
Hawkinson said there’s new data to suggest it could even be transmitted through breathing.
While medical professionals tout washing hands frequently and covering mouths when coughing, Hawkinson said they also recommend people get the vaccine as well, despite uncertainty about its effectiveness.
"There's no way to fully tell that until the end of the season,” said Hawkinson, "Judging from Australia and the southern hemisphere it doesn't seem like the vaccine this year would be very effective."
Pace said along with taking precautions when she’s out in public places, she also got the vaccine back in November.
"I have stayed healthy! I'm so happy,” said Pace.
She credits both the vaccine and her extra efforts with staying well this flu season.
The Hen House is still providing flu shots on a walk-in basis. The store also had plenty of Tamiflu as of Monday afternoon, if you do catch the virus.
