Flu May Not Peak Until Late February
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The flu continues to be deadly across the DFW area, and now local health officials are concerned that the height of the epidemic has yet to hit North Texas. The virus is already to blame for 48 area deaths, with 35 of those being in Dallas County.
January is normally the peak of flu season. But the Dallas County Health and Human Services Department is now thinking that DFW could not reach the peak until the end of February. It is, however, tough for any health officials to precisely predict if the number of flu cases will spike or decrease in the near future.
Looking at the flu numbers so far, with thousands of confirmed cases in North Texas, the virus is still a major concern. Area hospitals are still seeing many patients with the flu.
"With the fact that we are still seeing new cases, we are still reporting deaths, that may move our peak period to late February," stated Zachary Thompson with the Dallas health department. "But definitely February is when we are going to start looking at when we peak and when we start to see a decrease in the number of new cases."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared that our country is at flu epidemic status. Local health officials said that DFW has been at that level for a few weeks.
People are still urged to get a flu shot if they have not had one already. It is not too late. But, remember, it can as long as two weeks for the vaccine to be fully effective. Also, it is always a good idea to cover your coughs, clean your hands often, and stay at home if you are not feeling well, in order to help sickness from spreading.
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