NM Department of Health: Flu is on 'rapid' rise

The holiday season may be over, but flu season is in full swing across New Mexico and the rest of the country.

In the state, "all the charts are showing a rapid increase in flu-related numbers," New Mexico Department of Health spokesperson David Barre said in an email. However, he added, "we do not have an exact number of cases as many people do not get tested or seek care."

Since the fall, there have been 5,000 deaths — including three reported in New Mexico by the DOH — and 120,000 hospitalizations due to the flu across the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During the week ending Dec. 27, 33,301 patients were admitted to the hospital with the flu, DOH reported.

"Seasonal influenza activity is elevated and continues to increase across the country," according to the CDC.

At Presbyterian Healthcare Services, Dr. Denise Gonzales said the surge in cases began two weeks ago "and it hasn't peaked yet and it's already exceeding the peaks that we experienced in the last two years."

"We're currently well over capacity and it's typical in the Albuquerque metro area that all three systems: Lovelace, the university and Presbyterian run over capacity due to the uptick in viral infections," she said. "... As hospitalizations increase in the more rural parts of New Mexico, then those hospitals start to divert toward Albuquerque, which is already at very high capacity. So it just worsens the problem."

Children have not been immune to the flu.

A week before Christmas, pediatrician Dr. Chelsea Sanchez with Optum New Mexico said kids came in with symptoms like fever, coughing and congestion.

"... Because of the high fevers this year, I feel like we're seeing more of them in the clinic," she said.

To deal with the high volume of cases, Gonzales said "hospitals might make operational adjustments like expanding virtual visits, increasing nurse staffing and using double-occupancy rooms when medically appropriate to safely meet patient demand."

Gonzales said she partly attributes the spike in cases to fewer people getting their shots.

Since September, according to the state Department of Health, 22% of the state's estimated 2.1 million population have been vaccinated. In the meantime, she said she recommends vaccinations, especially for those with chronic illnesses.

"(Not getting a shot) is going to make you susceptible to having a bad case of the flu that might even require you going into the ICU, so it's even more important to be vaccinated to give you that opportunity to just get a mild case and not need to be hospitalized," Gonzales said.

Aside from getting vaccinations, Gonzales said she suggested people stay home if they are sick, wear masks, frequently wash hands, use hand sanitizer and avoid touching the face.

Along with Gonzales' suggestions, Sanchez said she recommends people keep hydrated, eat fruits and vegetables, "making sure the vitamins are high in their bodies," and take ibuprofen.

"And if you haven't been around someone who has been sick, it could still be good to get that flu shot," she said, "... because we don't anticipate it going away in the next month or two."

Sandoval County Data

According to DOH's David Barre, flu and respiratory disease activity in Sandoval County is slightly higher than the trends seen at the state and even national level. 

"For the week of Dec. 28th (the last full week of data available), 12% of all emergency department (ED) visits in NM were for flu-like symptoms, while that proportion was 13% in Sandoval County. For that same week, 6% of all ED visits across the state were diagnosed with influenza, while in Sandoval County that number is closer to 8%," he confirmed in an email.

In Sandoval County, more than 27% of the population has received the flu vaccine, which is the third-highest flu vaccination rate among New Mexico counties.

To get a flu shot, the Department of Health recommends people call 833-796-8773 or contact a public health office.