Flu update

By Pamela DiSalvo Lepley and Michael Ford

Normal emergency cases coupled with a very early flu season continue to tax local emergency department operations at acute care hospitals in the Richmond metropolitan area. A majority of area hospitals are still full.

Most hospitals remain on medical diversion and the Central Virginia Mass Casualty Incident plan is active, as it has been since mid-week. When the MCI is active, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center acts as medical control hospital and manages the distribution of patients arriving at hospitals via ambulance.

Due to the increased activity of flu in the Richmond area, please help the area’s hospitals to protect patients by advising the public to not visit the hospital if individuals have the following symptoms: fever, cough, runny nose, or headache.  The public also should not visit hospitalized patients if they have had the nasal flu vaccine, known as FluMist, in the last 21 days.

Concern about the flu has caused many people to seek access to medical care in local emergency departments. This taxes the ability of EDs to handle heart attacks, broken bones, head trauma and similar medical emergencies. 

Typical flu symptoms include headache, fever, chills, cough, runny nose, sore throat and body aches. In subsequent reports on the flu, it would be helpful to remind your readers and viewers that the average, otherwise healthy person with the usual case of influenza does not need to see a doctor and can successfully treat symptoms of the flu at home with rest, acetaminophen or ibuprofen to reduce fever and by drinking fluids. Symptoms usually subside within five to seven days.

An unnecessary trip to the emergency room could spread influenza to others in the waiting room.  For those who don’t have the flu, it is likely to expose them to someone who has it

It is recommended that people experiencing shortness of breath or an altered mental state should seek immediate medical attention.