LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Medical professionals say they’re seeing patients test positive for the flu uncharacteristically late this year.

What You Need To Know

  • Flu season is running late this year

  • CDC extended its usual flu-season reporting

  • They encourage continuing frequent handwashing and good hygiene

  • Medical providers say more people are now being tested for the flu than earlier on in the pandemic

 

The CDC has extended its usual flu-season reporting because there is still so much flu activity going on. CDC data shows that after an initial peak, flu cases went down in mid-December and January, but picked back up during the first of the year.

Norton Healthcare nurse practitioner Trisha Walton says while she was working in urgent care in April, she saw more flu than COVID-19 cases.

Now, she’s at Norton’s new Community Medical Associates Springhurst office, and she’s urging patients to continue to be vigilant with handwashing and hygiene.

She says while the medical community has noticed an uptick in flu cases, at least some of that could have to do with testing.

“Back when COVID first started, usually if people were positive for COVID, they weren’t also being tested for influenza, so, I mean, people can have both together, so we wouldn’t really know those numbers, because, like I said, if people were positive for COVID, that was the biggest concern at the time. So we weren’t running those other tests, but now, thankfully, they’re testing those together so we can know the answer to both right away.”

Walton says anyone who’s feeling symptoms should stay home and quarantine for a full 24 hours after becoming fever-free.

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