Louisiana’s Flu Season Remains Slow

Now is not the time to let your guard down. The flu season is still upon us. That being said it's still a very light flu season compared to the flu seasons we've experienced the  past few years.

However, there is still time for the "flu bug" to bite. If you don't take the proper precautions including personal hygiene and getting a flu shot, there's still a chance you could get bit.

If you haven't gotten one yet, just as an added precaution if the flu season gets a lot busier, you can still be protected by getting that flu shot.

That's the advice of Dr. Frank Welch with the Department of Health and Hospitals. Dr. Welch spoke to the Louisiana Radio Network about this year's flu season.

We are at very few flu cases. We're down around 2%, and what that means is 2 out of every 100 visits to a doctor or hospital are for flu-like illness.

Dr. Welch credits the warmer weather this winter as one of the major reasons that cases of the flu are down in the state.

Certainly the warmer weather around the country is noted for keeping people outdoors. It's when in gets cold that people stay shut in that the disease spreads a lot better.

He also believes that the severity of last year's flu season prompted more people to get a flu shot this year. That meant that more people were prepared for the season before it could start. Also, this year's vaccine matched up very well against the current virus that is causing the most problems around the state.

The typical flu season usually hits its peak about this time of year. Most cases are normally reported during late February and early March. The flu season usually comes to an end in Louisiana by the middle of April.