Respiratory illnesses, particularly the flu, are on the rise in our area.
While Christmas has come and gone, the flu continues to linger.
“We’re seeing surge volumes of the flu right now in children particularly,” said Dr. Marla Levine. “What is really interesting is that normally we see the flu come earlier in the season, but for whatever reason, the uptick in flu cases developed in our region later.”
CDC weekly data indicates that Tennessee has moved from high to very high influenza activity, making it one of the worst-hit states in the nation—even before family gatherings.
“Right now, it’s come at a very high volume of illness,” explained Levine. “So, to answer your question, after the holidays, it remains to be seen.”
Dr. Levine is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University, where the emergency room at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital is currently overflowing with patients suffering from the flu. She notes there are common misconceptions about visiting the ER with a high fever.