Video: Boston doctor discusses extended flu season in Massachusetts
Updated: 6:11 PM EDT May 16, 2022
ERIKA: FLU SEASON ISN’T OVERET Y FOR MILLIONS OF MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS. HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IS DR. ALI RAJA, DEPUTY CHAIRF O THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGEYNC MEDICINE AT MASS GENERAL HOSPIT.AL >> I AM GLAD YOUR DAUGHTER IS GETTING BETTER. BEN: PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS IN THE STATE SAY FLU ACTIVITY REMAINS MODERATE, WITH MORE PEOPLE HAVING SYMPTOMS OR BEING HOSPITALIZED RIGHT NOW THAN IN PREVIOUS YEARS. IS THAT CONSISTENT WITH WHAT YOU’RE SEEG?IN >> IT .IS WE ARE DEFINITELY SEEING CASES OF THELU F, BUT THE LEVEL IS ACTUALLY PRETTY LOW. WHERE WE ARE SEEING TGE MORE IS IN THE NORTHEAST AND WESTERN PARTS OF THE STATE. AND HIGH LEVELS IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE STATE. ERIKA: THE STATE SAYS IT’S SEEN MORE CASES OF INFLUENZA A ISTH YEAR THAN INFLUENZA B. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT TTHA STRAIN? AND DID IT MATCH THE VCI?AC >> THE STRAIN OF FLU WE ARE SEEING IS CAEDLL H3N2. IT IS CAUSING RELATIVYEL MILD ILLNESS, WHICHS I GATRE, BECAUSE THE VACCINE IS NOT AS EFFECTIVE AS IT HAS BEEN IN YEARS PAST. THE FLU VACNECI IS BASICALLY A REALLY EDUCADTE GUESS WHICH IS DEVELOPED IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY TO PREDICTHE T STAINS — SPRINGS WE WILL SEE IN THE FALL. SOME YEARS YOU CAN HAVE EFFECTIVENESS AS HIGH AS %.60 THIS YEAR IS ABOUT ABOUT 20%. I STILL HAVE BEEN TELLING ALL MY PAENTITS TO GET THE FLU VACCINE. BEN: IN GENERAL, FLU SEASON IN NEW ENGLAND STARTS IN THE LLFA AND LASTS ONLY THROUGH MARCH. ARE YOU SEEING ANY SIGNSET Y THAT IT’LL END SOON? >> NOT YET. WE USUALLY SAY BY ISTH TIME FLU SEASON IS ENDING, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE DATA FROM THE CDC, THEY ARE NOT ESTIMATING THAT WE WILL SEE THE END OF FLU SEASON IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. IN FACT, WE WILL SEE ABOUT THE SA NMEUMBER OF HOSPITALIZATIONS HOLD STEADY FOR THE NTEX COUPLE OF WEEKS INTO JU.NE ERIKA: A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE FEELING CONGESTED RIGHT NOW. IS THERE AN SYEA WAY FOR YOUO T TELL WHETHER THE SYMPTOMS ARE FROM A COLD, THE FLU, COVID OR SEASONAL ALLERGIES? >> MY TRUCK ONCE YELLOW THIS WEEKEND. IF YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A POLLEN ALRGLE AND YOU HAVE A RUYNN NOSE, IT IS ALLERGIES. THE PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU START THINKING ABOUT THE FLU AND COVID, IT IS HARD TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE. YOU REALLY NEED TO GET TESTED FOR BOTH. IN THE PAST, THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT WAS TO TALK TO YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER TO GET TESTED. BUT THE FDA APPROVED AN EMERGENCY AUTHORIZATION OF FOR THEM AT-HOME TEST THAT WILL TEST FOR FLOW — F,LU CIDOV AND R.SV IM A REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. N:BE HOW MYAN TIMES DO YOU HAVE TO TEST BEFORE YOU CAN RULE OUT COVID? >> DEPENDS A LOT ON WHETHER YOU ARE TRULY SYMPTOMATIC OR NOT. IF YOU ARE N,OT TEST ONCE THREE OR FIVE DAYS AFTER. T BUIF YOURE A SYMPTOMATIC, YOU CAN BE NEGATIVE DAN THEN TURNED POSITIVE IN A FEW DAYS. SO YOU WILL HAVE TO TEST MORE THAN ONC
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Video: Boston doctor discusses extended flu season in Massachusetts
Updated: 6:11 PM EDT May 16, 2022
Dr. Ali Raja, of Mass General, discusses what parts of the state are seeing higher levels of flu activity.
Dr. Ali Raja, of Mass General, discusses what parts of the state are seeing higher levels of flu activity.
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