CAPE GIRARDEAU,Mo. (KFVS) – as the number โคof โrespiratory virusesโ rises nationally, the Cape Girardeau County Public Healthโค Center isโข urging residents too takeโ preventative measures.The U.S. Centers for Diseaseโ control and Prevention’s latest report indicates a โnationalโ increase in the commonโข cold, alongside warnings about a new,โฃ mutated โฃstrain of influenza – dubbed โขsubclade K – that could lead to a severe flu โคseason.
While flu activity remains โคlow locally, โฃwith onlyโ a few cases reported in Cape โGirardeau County so far, health officials emphasize it’s not too late to get vaccinated. “Especiallyโค if โฃthey’re immunocompromised, that can make a โคbig differenceโ in some of theโฃ severityโ as far as the flu. It can help lessenโค those symptoms, and possibly even shortenโ the duration of theโ illness for them,”โค said Amber Grant,โข nursing supervisor at theโฃ Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center.โฃ
The CDC also reports a decline in flu vaccination rates. Health leaders stressโฃ thatโ even though the current vaccine doesn’t specifically โฃtarget subclade K, vaccination remains crucial in reducing the risk of severe illness, particularlyโฃ for individuals withโข conditions like diabetes orโค cancer.
The Cape โคGirardeau County Public Health center offers flu shots without appointments. Grant โadvises those experiencing symptoms like a cough, runny nose, sore โthroat, โand feverโ toโค consider urgent care. Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath warrants an immediate trip to the emergency room. Urgent care facilities often have the capability to perform chest x-rays to rule out pneumonia.
Grant โคalso underscored the importance of consistent handwashing as a year-round preventative โmeasure.
