MONTGOMERY, Ala. ( WIAT ) — A spike in flu cases has the Alabama Department of Public Health urging healthy habits this holiday season. Trends are going upwards with an end not yet in sight.
Dr. Wes Stubblefield, medical officer with the ADPH, said, “The CDC currently has us at high levels of flu. Which is just under the highest that they have- ‘very high.’”
Dr. Stubblefield explained there is an increasing number of patients visiting the emergency department statewide because of influenza.
“Any individuals can have a variety of symptoms with the flu,” said Stubblefield. “Typically, the most consistent symptoms are fever and cough. But people can also have muscle aches. People may have mild cases of the flu, especially if they’ve been vaccinated.”
Dr. Beth Weaver, M.D. at AllSouth Urgent Care in Dothan, Ala., said she’s seen a lot of respiratory illnesses recently. “With everybody getting together, and visiting, and hugging, and laughing and singing in choirs and all that, we’ve really seen an uptick in the last week and a half to two weeks,” she said. “Not only with the flu, but also with COVID.”