Flu Cases Rise in Northwest Florida; New Variant Prompts Concern, Advice on How to Slow the Spread

As the holiday season approaches, a local Ascension doctor is urging the community to take steps to protect themselves and their families, citing a rise in flu cases and the identification of a new, more serious variant.

Dr. Susan Laenger, Medical Director of Primary Care Services for Ascension Sacred Heart Medical Group, confirmed a recent 8% increase in flu cases across the U.S. There has been a substantial increase across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties with the primary concern being a newly identified "K subclade" variant of Influenza A.

"This is the variant that was seen over in the UK and caused a surge of more serious influenza this season," Dr. Laenger stated. "K Subclade has the potential to make people sicker and seems to be spreading more easily, and medical experts are very concerned that more people would get influenza."

Despite the new variant being identified after the current flu shot was designed, Dr. Laenger, whose practice is in Gulf Breeze, noted that predictive models suggest the vaccine is still very effective. "The current vaccine appears to be very effective against this variant," she said. "We think that people would have less severe illness and are more likely to be protected."

Dr. Laenger strongly recommends the flu shot for everyone six months and up who is an appropriate candidate, emphasizing its importance for protecting loved ones during holiday gatherings.

"Now is the right time to jump on it," she advised, recommending getting the vaccine at least two weeks before holiday events to allow for full effect.

Dr. Laenger stressed the difference between a common cold and the flu. While a cold presents with sniffles and cough, influenza tends to hit "very strongly, very suddenly."

"People kind of liken it to being hit by a train," she explained, describing symptoms that include strong body aches, headache, and a high fever, sometimes reaching 103 or 104 degrees.

The groups most at risk for serious complications are the elderly, infants, those with chronic conditions and those with immunocompromise.

Where to Seek Care:

• Mild Symptoms: Call your primary care provider.
• Moderate Symptoms/After Hours: Urgent care is appropriate for timely attention.
• Severe Symptoms: Go to the emergency department for difficulty breathing, being very short of breath, or very high fever.
• As cases ramp up-a trend typically seen after Thanksgiving and before Christmas gatherings-prevention is critical.

Dr. Laenger emphasized several measures to prevent the spread of flu and other respiratory diseases:

• Timely immunization.
• Frequent hand washing and using alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoiding touching the face with unwashed hands.
• Staying home when sick.

"Ascension believes in meeting patients where they are, respecting their vaccine choices. We take a patient-centered approach to vaccination discussions, providing evidence-based education while respecting individual healthcare decisions. We recommend patients consider getting the flu vaccine based on their personalized care plan. Individuals who have compromised immune systems, or chronic medical conditions, including asthma, diabetes or heart disease need to prioritize speaking with their primary care doctor about whether to get the flu vaccine."

Dr. Laenger underscored the severity of the illness by sharing an anecdote about a patient who initially had "just a virus" but later developed and succumbed to secondary bacterial pneumonia following influenza. "It's an illness that can really become very, very serious," she concluded. "It's very different from a cold, and so just for the sake of all of my patients, I really want them to be protected."