FLORIDA – An emergency room doctor at UF Health said the hospital saw a surge in patients over the Christmas holiday as a severe flu season and common colds drove higher volumes, especially among children.
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“We’re seeing an increase in patient volumes. Our staffing has increased as well because it is flu season along with common colds,” Dr. Sonya Rashid said. “A lot of pediatric patients as well testing positive for flu.”
Rashid, an emergency physician, said this season has brought more severe cases among children, who can be predisposed to developing pneumonia when fever and coughing persist.
“This year, we’re having a really bad flu season and with the flu, the pediatric patients can be more predisposed to developing pneumonia. So, we do see that as well when the fever continues and the coughing is getting worse,” she said.
Rashid described working the night shift on Christmas as “very difficult,” saying the emergency room was busier than she expected with “no quiet times” and many people seeking care for flu symptoms.
On vaccines, Rashid said it can be difficult to measure how effective seasonal flu shots will be because vaccines are often made for strains that were predominant when they were produced and the influenza virus is constantly changing.
“It’s really hard to say how effective the vaccines are for flu because a lot of times, when the vaccines are made for flu the traditional way, they are made for strains that may have been predominant beforehand, and the flu is an ever-changing virus that changes constantly,” she said.
Still, she urged vaccination because it can make symptoms milder.
“Getting vaccinated does help your chances a lot if you get the flu because your symptoms will be milder,” Rashid said. “It may not 100-percent prevent you from getting the flu, but I think it helps to diminish some of the symptoms you may have if you get the flu.”
Rashid also stressed basic precautions such as wearing masks and frequent handwashing, noting that influenza spreads through droplets rather than being airborne like COVID-19.
“The thing with the flu virus is that it is spread through droplets, so it’s not airborne like COVID, so actually wearing a mask [is] effective along with washing your hands because of the way you get the flu,” she said.
On treatment, Rashid said antiviral drugs such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) are available but carry side effects, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and in some cases psychiatric reactions such as nightmares.
“The side effect profile includes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and with Tamiflu, you can sometimes get psychiatric effects as well, such as nightmares, so it’s not a medication without negatives,” she said.
For that reason, she said, many physicians reserve antivirals for severe cases that could threaten a patient’s life.