Jan 16, 2015 4 min read

Living close to Pittsburgh has its advantages and disadvantages, as any commuter stymied by gridlock on the Parkway West can attest.

Another disadvantage may be apparent this flu season. The Pennsylvania Department of Health shows 3,300 cases of flu in neighboring Allegheny County – the highest of any county in the state.

Washington County, which ranks 18th in population among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, has the fourth-highest number of influenza cases, according to statistics gathered by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The week ending Jan. 10 showed 1,183 confirmed cases of flu in Washington County. The Department of Health notes its statistics represent only a fraction of folks who have influenza. The state isn’t counting just the number of sick people, it’s counting the number of cases positively identified by a rapid test, polymerase chain reaction test or culture reported to the Department of Health.

So if you’re exhausted, you’re running a fever or shivering, you’re coughing, your body and head ache and your throat is sore but you don’t see a doctor, the statistics don’t include you.

The numbers “shouldn’t be the only thing that’s looked at, but I’m not entirely surprised given what’s going on in Allegheny County,” said Holli Senior, deputy press secretary for the state Department of Health.

“There is flu activity in every county and once it’s in the county, its contagious and it spreads rapidly through the community. It’s definitely shaping up to be a pretty severe flu season. One of the reasons is that the predominant strain is an influenza A, which is associated with a more severe illness.

The predominant strain has drifted and therefore is not a perfect match with what is in the vaccine. I’d like to stress that even though it is not a perfect match, the vaccine may still provide some protection. It’s not too late to get the flu vaccine. It may lessen the amount of days you are sick with the flu, or it may keep an individual from being hospitalized.”

The number of influenza cases was at its height during the week of Dec. 28 through Jan. 3. Although the first decline in cases occurred last week, “We’re not comfortable in saying it has peaked as yet,” Senior said, a sentiment echoed by the federal Centers for Disease Control on its website.

There have been 71 deaths in Pennsylvania attributable to influenza as of Jan. 10, and 65 of those have been among the elderly. Because of the number of flu-related deaths nationwide met a predetermined threshold in December, the CDC has labeled this year’s outbreak an epidemic.

For the week ending Jan. 10, the CDC reported that flu activity was high nationwide. Pennsylvania was among 46 states with widespread activity.

People with flu can spread it to others up to about six feet away. Most experts think that flu viruses are spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk.

These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Less often, a person might also get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own face.

Most adults may be able to infect other people one day before symptoms develop and up to five to seven days after becoming sick. Children may pass the virus for longer than seven days. Symptoms start one to four days after the virus enters the body.

Pennsylvania residents come down with between 600,000 and 2.4 million cases of the flu in any given year. Between 120 and 2,000 Pennsylvanians die from flu each year.

In addition to being vaccinated, Matrix Medical Network, in a news release, offered some tips, such as washing hands to avoid picking up and preventing the spread of germs. Try not to touch your mouth or eyes with unwashed hands, or when coughing or sneezing; get enough sleep, 8 to 10 hours a night; eat nutritious, well-balanced meals and exercise to help your immune system fight off illnesses.

Avoiding crowds during peak flu season can reduce your chances of infection. And, if you’re sick, stay home so that you don’t pass on the flu to others.