Flu spikes in Georgia
Local clinic, state encountering more cases this season than in previous year
By Tricia L. Nadolny
tnadolny@gainesvilletimes.com
POSTED: December 11, 2010 1:17 a.m.
Georgia has been hit harder by the flu than any other state, with cases appearing at more than twice the national level, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
But experts say it isn't clear whether this means a worse flu season for Georgians or just an earlier one.
"It could be a little bit of both," said Sheila Coffee, a practice administrator at The Longstreet Clinic in Gainesville. "...It could get worse as we get further into winter."
Nationally, 2.5 percent of patients visiting doctors show flu symptoms, but in Georgia that number is hovering near 6 percent, which constitutes widespread levels, according to Dave Palmer, spokesman for the Georgia Health Department.
Since Oct. 15, The Longstreet Clinic has had more than 1,450 confirmed flu cases, up from 350 cases in the same time period last year.
Tom Skinner, spokesman for the CDC, said there is no way to know why one state would see higher flu levels than another.
"Flu is unpredictable and so we just can't say with certainty why one area is being hit harder than another at a certain time of year," he said.
(...more...)
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/42681/
Local clinic, state encountering more cases this season than in previous year
By Tricia L. Nadolny
tnadolny@gainesvilletimes.com
POSTED: December 11, 2010 1:17 a.m.
Georgia has been hit harder by the flu than any other state, with cases appearing at more than twice the national level, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
But experts say it isn't clear whether this means a worse flu season for Georgians or just an earlier one.
"It could be a little bit of both," said Sheila Coffee, a practice administrator at The Longstreet Clinic in Gainesville. "...It could get worse as we get further into winter."
Nationally, 2.5 percent of patients visiting doctors show flu symptoms, but in Georgia that number is hovering near 6 percent, which constitutes widespread levels, according to Dave Palmer, spokesman for the Georgia Health Department.
Since Oct. 15, The Longstreet Clinic has had more than 1,450 confirmed flu cases, up from 350 cases in the same time period last year.
Tom Skinner, spokesman for the CDC, said there is no way to know why one state would see higher flu levels than another.
"Flu is unpredictable and so we just can't say with certainty why one area is being hit harder than another at a certain time of year," he said.
(...more...)
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/42681/