San Diego

Flu Hits San Diego Hard Ahead of Thanksgiving Gatherings

Doctors advise San Diegans to get the flu shot, wash your hands and consider masking during holiday gatherings

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An aggressive surge in flu cases across California has bumped the state from a low to high influenza category in just two weeks, making it the first state on the West Coast to enter the high category status, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nationwide this season, there have been an estimated 2.8 million influenza cases, 23,000 hospitalizations and 1,300 deaths, three of which have been children, the CDC reported.

In San Diego County, influenza cases have now been reported as frequently as the amount of COVID-19 cases in November, county health data shows. Dr. Samer Khodor, Chief Medical officer at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, said it has been a much earlier peak for the flu season.

"We are seeing a lot more flu than usual, it’s an exponential curve," Khodor said.

Tents are set up outside Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, right in front of their Emergency Room department. They’ve been there since the start of COVID, but according to a Sharp spokesperson, they’re used to test for all respiratory viruses including RSV, influenza and COVID-19.

Dr. Khodor says the lobby of Sharp Chula Vista is being used to separate those with flu from other patients.

"It's really just to streamline the process, so people coming in with respiratory illnesses we can take them there and they get their care quicker," Khodor said.

Health professionals urge San Diegans to get their flu shots – and county data shows that more residents are taking that advice.

Doctors say it takes two weeks after the vaccine for the flu shot to develop to its full potential. If you plan on gathering in a large group for Thanksgiving, which is less than two weeks away, the time to get your flu shot is now.

"We certainly want people to stay well and enjoy being healthy with our loved ones over the holidays, Khodor said. "It's really about keeping up with your vaccines both for flu and COVID and  handwashing and strongly consider wearing a mask."

The effectiveness of the flu vaccine lasts from 4 to 6 months. Health experts say we typically see the bulk of flu cases December through February.

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