OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Respiratory illnesses are surging across the metro area as flu and RSV cases spike several weeks earlier than usual, prompting doctors to warn residents about the importance of seeking timely medical care.
Douglas County reported 490 flu cases this week, up from just 109 last week. CHI Health doctors say last week accounted for more than half of this year’s total flu cases, and emergency rooms are seeing more children with severe respiratory symptoms.
“For influenza, we do have treatments available, and they work best when used within the first couple days of symptoms,” said Dr. Lillia Cherkasskiy of CHI Health. “So if you are kind of on the fence about going in to be checked out, my answer to that is, yes, we have something that will likely be able to shorten the duration of symptoms and the severity of symptoms.”…