Influenza escalates across Pennsylvania and our region
The current number of flu cases (all types) in Pennsylvania far exceeds the number of cases from the eight previous seasons, according to Pennsylvania’s National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (PA-NEDSS). (See red line in Figure 1). Click here for the CDC weekly flu surveillance report for the United States.
Penn State Health is officially in flu season. Flu vaccinations, COVID-19 vaccinations and COVID-19 boosters are key measures of defense against the spread of both flu and COVID-19. To protect patients and staff members from these viruses, Penn State Health strongly advises health care providers not to decline vaccinations for any reason other than a medical contraindication. Any employee declining the flu vaccine must sign a declination form, available in ReadySet.
Click here to view walk-in opportunities for the flu vaccine at 175 Crystal A Drive.
Click here to sign up for a flu vaccine appointment at Hershey Medical Center.
Click here to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at Hershey Medical Center.
Most pharmacies also have flu and COVID-19 vaccinations available.
Ways to address flu mitigation efforts include:
- Employees with a fever and respiratory symptoms such as cough, runny nose, sneezing or sore throat should not report to work until at least 24 hours after their fever has resolved without use of fever-reducing medications. If already at work and applicable, they should stop any patient care activities, don a surgical mask and notify their supervisor of their symptoms.
- Ill employees should contact their primary care physician for flu or COVID-19 testing and/or treatment. Antivirals for flu work best when started within 48 hours of symptom onset.
- Upon returning to work, all staff — regardless of whether they are in patient-facing environments — should wear a surgical mask until sneezing, runny nose and/or sore throat have resolved and cough has subsided.
Diagnosis and Treatment
- Antiviral treatment can be considered for any person. However, people who are hospitalized, have a severe, complicated illness or are at higher risk for complications are priority for diagnostic testing and antiviral treatment.
- Those at higher risk for flu complications include: children under the age of two; adults 65 years or older; persons with chronic illnesses like asthma, heart disease, renal disease, liver disease, diabetes, hematologic disease or neurologic disease; immunosuppression; pregnant women and within two weeks postpartum; American Indians/Alaska Natives; morbidly obese persons; persons under the age of 19 on chronic acetylsalicylic acid therapy; and residents of skilled nursing facilities or long-term care facilities.
- Additional priority groups for diagnostic testing and antiviral treatment include health care providers and those with household contacts younger than six months or with a high-risk condition that predisposes them to the complications of flu.
- The greatest benefit is when treatment is started within 48 hours of onset. When given after 48 hours of onset, antiviral therapy may still benefit hospitalized patients or persons with underlying illnesses or severe, complicated or progressive flu. Decisions about starting treatment should not wait for laboratory confirmation of flu.
- Co-infection with flu viruses and COVID-19 can occur, particularly in hospitalized patients with severe respiratory disease. A positive COVID-19 test result does not preclude flu virus infection.
- As of Dec. 9, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) seasonal surveillance has not detected any flu resistant to oseltamivir, zanamivir, peramivir or baloxavir.
Penn State Health Employee Health distributed a new policy on Dec. 1 to help prevent the spread of seasonal flu and other viral respiratory illnesses. The policy, which applies to all Penn State Health employees, students, temporary health care professionals, vendors, contractors, temporary staff and volunteers regardless of whether they are in patient-facing environments, requires them to wear surgical masks when within six feet of another individual if they are not vaccinated against flu.
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