Liberty Hospital saw a dramatic increase in February in the number of those admitted for complications related to influenza, a rise that mirrors the escalation of cases reported to Clay County Public Health Center.

Liberty Hospital saw its first flu case in December, and two more were reported there that month. The hospital had 16 cases in January.

And then, the virus hit with more of a vengeance. The hospital had 17 cases the first partial week of February (Jan. 27 to Feb. 2), 43 cases from Feb. 3 to 9, and 62 cases from Feb. 10 to 16.

“We’ve seen a lot of younger patients with it; there’s a misperception that it can affect the elderly the most,” Jo Micek, Liberty Hospital’s infection control coordinator, said. “The flu started really late this year, but when it did, it hit the ground running.”

Of the 160 cases the hospital had seen as of Feb. 19, 26 were ages 0 to 2, 15 were ages 2 to 4, 30 were ages 5 to 14, 18 were ages 15 to 24, 46 were ages 25 to 49, 5 were ages 50 to 64, and 20 were ages 65 and older.

The prior season, Liberty Hospital saw its first flu case in October. Complications that may cause a person with influenza to be admitted to a hospital are normally associated with viral respiratory illness, which can lead to bacterial or viral pneumonia.

Micek said of the 160 cases, 73 percent had not had a flu vaccine.

“That’s very telling,” she said. “The flu shot is working.”

Dr. Ximena Somoza, epidemiologist for Clay County Public Health Center, said on Feb. 20 that 119 flu cases had been reported so far the week of Feb. 17. The previous week had 50, and the week before that had 29. Hospitals, medical offices and laboratories report flu cases to the center.

“So far, Liberty has been hit harder than the other communities reporting to us,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean places like North Kansas City or Smithville are out of the woods yet.”

Somoza said those 17 and younger seemed to be the most affected in Clay County, a trend reflected in national statistics showing that 58 percent of those with the flu were younger than 18.

She said of the cases seen in Clay County, 80 percent of those persons were not vaccinated.

The main goal of receiving a vaccination is to reduce hospital visits and death, she said.

“A person may still get the flu after being vaccinated,” she said, “but the symptoms should be less severe.”

Preventing the spread of the flu:

Tips for preventing the spread of flu: 

- Get the flu vaccine if you have determined you’re not at risk of a reaction from the immunization. If you get the flu, it should reduce the severity of your symptoms. 

- Wash your hands vigorously and often for 20 seconds all the way to an inch above the wrist. 

- Distance yourself socially with a 3-foot circumference. In church, rather than shaking hands during a welcome time, grab a shoulder, give it a squeeze, and say, “Peace be with you.” 

- Sneeze into your sleeve, not your hand. A virus will “dry and die” in clothing. 

- Remember where germs can live, including money, a computer mouse, grocery cart handles, phones, light switches, remote controls and door handles. Clean and disinfect those areas. 

- Throw your used tissues in the trash. 

- Use hand sanitizers, not as a substitute for hand-washing, but as an adjunct. 

- If you’re not feeling well, don’t visit a patient in the hospital or a resident of a nursing home. 

- Keep your environment clean. Some studies show influenza can live on some surfaces for 24 hours or longer. 

- Think of good hand hygiene as protection. Wash hands even before applying makeup or giving medication to children.

Sources: Jo Micek, infection prevention coordinator, Liberty Hospital; Barbara Dawson, communicable disease prevention program manager, and Ximena Somoza, epidemiologist, both of Clay County Public Health Center.

Staff writer Natalie Shelton can be reached at 781-4941 or nshelton@npgco.com.

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