It’s flu season, and the bug has begun to circle.

Staff at Melissa Memorial Hospital said they haven’t seen any patients with major flu symptoms, but it is beginning to get on the minds of everyone.

Family Practice of Holyoke has held its annual flu clinics, and many people have taken the first step to safeguard themselves against the flu.

Claudia Powell, MMH director of nursing, said even though people receive a flu shot, there is always still a chance they could contract the flu­—it just won’t be as bad as if they had not received the shot.

This year’s flu shot is the same shot that was given last year. two years ago, the shot was completely different after the emergence of the H1N1 flu. The shot people are receiving this year covers H3N2, Influenza B and H1N1 viruses.

Kay Schmidt, LPN, gives a flu vaccination Thursday night, Oct. 27 at SunSet View Community Room. Family Practice of Holyoke held special flu clinics to offer flu shots at a discounted price.??—Enterprise photo

Powell and Pat Notter, RN, said shots are usually administered in October. this year, they said once the shots were received in September, they were told they could go ahead and begin to administer them.

“There’s no pandemic potential this year,” Powell noted.

Everyone, regardless of whether or not they received a shot, should safeguard themselves during flu season.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers its “Take 3” actions to fight the flu.

The first is to take time to get a flu vaccine. Secondly, take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs. these include:

—cover nose and mouth with tissue when coughing or sneezing.

—wash hands often with soap and water. if soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

—avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.

—try to avoid close contact with sick people. if sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends staying home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (The fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)

—while sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.

The third action is to take flu antiviral drugs if a doctor prescribes them.

Antiviral drugs are different from antibiotics. They are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaled powder) and are not available over the counter. The antiviral drugs help treat the symptoms of the illness.

Staying home is a big player in keeping others healthy. those who have been or still are sick, and return to work or school, can easily spread the illness.

“Our society just doesn’t know how to be sick anymore,” Notter said. “They just expect a quick answer and expect it to go away.”

With the holidays coming up, friends and families will gather in larger groups. With flu season in the midst, these times offer a greater chance for the spread of illness, according to Powell and Notter.

Staff at MMH reminds those who are sick or have symptoms, to not visit patients in the hospital. There are stands at entrances of the hospital with hand sanitizer, masks and gloves to help those visiting to stop the spread of illnesses.

Some patients will have signs on their door that state, “Please check with nurse before entering.” Powell said it would be a good idea to follow these instructions.

Signs and symptoms of the flu

Signs and symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue and sometimes diarrhea and vomiting.

Powell said not everyone with the flu will experience vomiting or diarrhea. these two symptoms may be signs of another illness.

People at high risk for developing flu-related complications include children younger than 5, adults 65 years of age and older and pregnant women. Anyone with asthma is also at high risk.

Emergency warning signs in children include fast breathing, not drinking enough fluids, not waking up or interacting, being so irritable that the child does not want to be held, unable to eat, trouble breathing, no tears when crying and significantly fewer wet diapers than normal.

In adults, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath or pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen are warning signs.

“People should never hesitate to call the clinic or hospital if they feel their symptoms are getting worse,” Powell said.

Test Your Flu I.Q.

#1: A flu vaccine can’t give you the flu. answer: True#2: The “stomach flu” and influenza are the same thing. answer: False#3: getting a flu vaccine in December or later is not too late. answer: True#4: Flu viruses change constantly which requires a new flu vaccine to be produced each year. answer: True#5: Washing your hands is the best thing you can do to protect against the flu. answer: False#6: The flu vaccine protects against three strains of flu. answer: True#7: The flu is typically spread through coughs and/or sneezes. answer: True#8: The flu is not a serious illness. answer: False#9: The flu vaccine is available as a shot or a nasal spray. answer: True#10: you can spread the flu to others before you have symptoms. answer: True

Holyoke Enterprise November 3, 2011