Flu cases remain ‘steady’

Some good news when it comes to the flu virus here in West Virginia. The number of cases has plateaued according to Dr. Rahul Gupta, with the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department.

But that doesn’t mean the season is over.

The state began to see the flu ramp up in early December. That is not common for West Virginia. It usually happens in February or March. But cases continued to climb last month into January. Gupta says we’re now about eight weeks into what is usually a 12-week flu season.

So far, the season has been listed as a ‘moderately severe.’ What happens next is anyone’s guess..

“It’s really very hard to predict whether we’re going to have another peak, whether we will come down now or we’ll stay steady,” Gupta said.

There have been several flu-related deaths here in West Virginia and hundreds are still being admitted to the hospital each week.

It’s not too late to get a flu shot. Unlike other states, West Virginia has plenty of the vaccine left and you can still find it at your doctor’s office, pharmacies and health departments.