Santa Ana Hospital Sees Uptick In Flu Cases
SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — Cases of the flu are starting to pile up in Orange County emergency rooms.
Doctors and nurses at OC Global Medical Center in Santa say there's been a recent uptick in the number of patients being diagnosed with influenza. Between Oct. 1 and the end of November, there was just five cases of flu.
But since December started, the hospital has seen seven people test positive for the flu, a number that's up from this time last year.
"Sometimes patients with common colds present with similar symptoms as those with the flu. So, runny nose, cough, sore throat, and even fever," Dr. Vu Huynh said. "Typically, flu is a little more severe. So you'll get body aches, more fatigue, higher fevers."
Southern California's windy dry conditions are also not helping, exacerbating symptoms for people with asthma and allergies.
But health professionals say it's not too late to get a flu shot. The flu season is expected to peak in February.