Only 145 confirmed flu cases reported this season, but state health commissioner says it's too early to call it a mild season

By Melissa Patrick

Kentucky Health News

Compared to last year, there have been 640 fewer confirmed influenza cases in Kentucky, but the state's top doctor says it's too early to read too much into that. 

“It is too early to celebrate a mild influenza season in Kentucky,” said Health Commissioner Steven Stack in an e-mail. “The onset of peak influenza season varies from year-to-year and while this year has started mildly compared to last year, it is generally in line with the start of 2017-18 and 2018-19." 

Stack, a physician, wasn't ready to say that the public health measures that are encouraged to slow the spread of the coronavirus were resulting in fewer cases of the flu, but he did say if we keep them up, they could. 

"Although," he said. "if all Kentuckians wear their masks, maintain social distancing, and stay home when sick, then Kentucky could suppress both influenza and covid-19 and keep people healthy and well." 

The latest weekly report from the Department for Public Health shows that in the week ended Nov. 21, Kentucky counted 14 new influenza cases, for a total of 145 cases this season, which runs through May. There have been no flu-related deaths reported this year. 

At the same time last year, there had already been 275 new cases reported, with 785 cases reported for the season.

This year's report says the current influenza level is "local," which means there have been outbreaks of the flu or increases in cases in a single region of the state. The county flu activity map from the surveillance report shows increasing flu activity in Magoffin, Johnson, Martin, Floyd and Pike counties. 

Pike County had the most confirmed cases this week, with seven. The counties with the most confirmed cases this season are Allen, with 33, Perry with 15 and Pike with 24. 

With the flu season and the coronavirus pandemic in full swing, health officials are saying it is more important than ever to get a flu shot, which are recommended for all adults and children over the age of 6 months. 

This stronger than usual recommendation is largely out of concern that an influx of flu patients -- along with the current escalation of covid-19 patients -- could overwhelm the state's already strained hospital system. 

“We must all work to preserve our state’s hospitals and healthcare workers so they can be prepared for a potential influx of covid-19 patients. By encouraging everyone to get a flu vaccine, we can reduce the impact of influenza in Kentucky,” Dr. Jeff Reynolds,  medical director of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky, said in a news release to promote the "Raise Your Guard, KY: Focus on Flu" campaign.

In a Nov. 14 news release,  Health Commissioner Steven Stack encouraged Kentuckians to get a flu vaccine while we wait on a coronavirus vaccine to become widely available, adding that an influenza outbreak on top of the pandemic in the next few months, the heart of flu season, "would be disastrous."

Last year, more than 27,408 cases of flu were reported in Kentucky, which resulted in 162 deaths. Since March, there have been at least 194,193 coronavirus cases and 2,039 covid-19 related deaths in Kentucky.  

Gov. Andy Beshear regularly warns that the current surge of coronavirus cases could easily overwhelm the state's hospital systems, noting that many of them are already having to adjust their services to accommodate the surge.

Another challenge for health care providers is that symptoms from the flu and covid-19 are similar, but the treatments for them are different, so testing will be needed to confirm a diagnosis. Further, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is possible to get both at the same time, and physicians caution that having more than one virus at a time increases your chance of going to the hospital.  

"The best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get vaccinated every year," says the CDC. "Flu vaccines will not prevent covid-19, but they will reduce your chances of getting flu."