Bay Area doctors concerned holiday travel could make surge in flu cases worse

Flu cases spiking across Tampa Bay area

Emergency rooms and urgent care clinics in Tampa Bay are seeing a spike in flu cases, as the wave of a new variant sweeps through. Doctors are worried that the holiday season is about to make matters worse. FOX 13's Evan Axelbank reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - Emergency rooms and urgent care clinics in Tampa Bay are seeing a spike in flu cases, as the wave of a new variant sweeps through. Doctors are worried that the holiday season is about to make matters worse.

"We know that travel is one of the biggest ways that viral illnesses, including the flu, will spread from state to state," said Jasmine Patterson, the medical director of the Pediatric Emergency Department at Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH and core faculty member in the Emergency Medicine residency program at USF.

A CDC map from December 13 shows Florida — in yellow — was still with the lowest number of flu cases, but the northeast was already in red. 

What they're saying:

Doctors say that storms of cases could be on their way. AdventHealth says its urgent flu cases have doubled from two weeks ago, from 1,000 to last week's 2,000.

"Last season was the worst season I'd seen. Is this season going to be top last season? Quite possibly with this variant, but I never try to make predictions about the flu," said Timothy Hendrix with AdventHealth. 

The variant has a COVID-era sounding name of H3N2 Subclade K and appears to be avoiding the vaccine that has been given this year. But, doctors still urge patients to get it, because it can help the immunocompromised avoid the worst effects, and prevent the otherwise healthy from a week of misery.

"Even though you had your vaccine, you can still get a flu case," said Hendrix, "But, you're not going to be as sick because you still have those antibodies to help protect you from a more severe infection."

The backstory:

Most devastating is that there have already been 50,000 hospitalizations and 2,000 deaths, including three children. 

This graph from Johns Hopkins All Children’s in St. Pete shows the rate of flu cases on the rise as winter approaches. 

TGH doctors wonder if it will reach its peak of a year ago.

"Kids that have died in the past, about 90% of them have been unvaccinated," said Patterson. "Talking to your doctor about getting vaccinated and still doing it, even though the season has started, it's not too late."

Last year, there were 280 pediatric deaths from the flu.

What's next:

Doctors do urge those who have a fever to get to a clinic and get seen, so that anti-viral can start within 48 hours to be most effective.           

Waiting to see if it gets better on its own is not recommended.