It’s the height of cold and flu season once again.
The latest data from the Ohio Department of Health shows Ohio is experiencing "very high" flu activity.
Cases of flu-like illness took a sharp turn upward around the second week of January and have remained high.
In central Ohio, nearly 400 people were hospitalized with the flu in the first week of February, according to the latest available data. That's more than in any other part of the state.
About 6,600 people have been hospitalized with the flu statewide since the season began in late September.
"We can monitor how many people end up in a hospital, but it's a little harder to know, well, how many days of work were lost, how much of people's lives were interrupted because of this,” said Zachary Bittinger, a physician and clinical assistant professor of family and community medicine at Ohio State University.
Bittinger said he is currently seeing a lot of people with lingering flu symptoms, including coughs that can stick around for weeks.
He said it’s important for people to set themselves up for “success” before cold and flu season if they want to reduce their risk of getting sick.
“So not just getting your flu shot, not just being careful around our at-risk family members, not just wearing masks, washing our hands, but sleep, exercise, eating healthy,” Bittinger said. “These are things that year round our systems are built for, and so doing those things in anticipation of cold and flu season is a great idea.”
He added that while there is a lot of misinformation about the flu vaccine, it’s still the best tool to protect people from the virus.
As for those who think they’re already sick, Bittinger said to take precautions early to avoid getting family, friends and colleagues sick. He said it’s possible for respiratory illnesses like the flu to spread before a person has symptoms.
“If you ever have an inkling that you're getting sick, it's probably good practice to stay home, to wear a mask, to be very cautious as you're able to,” Bittinger said.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control shows Ohio is one of more than a dozen states with the highest rates of flu right now. Ohio also has the highest flu rates among its direct neighbors, except for Michigan, which also has “very high” flu activity.
Bittinger said that while flu cases are definitely high right now, the season is comparable to other recent flu seasons and should end on time when the weather gets warmer in late March.
