Flu season yet to peak in St. Joseph

By Harry Loomis

With St. Joseph’s recent winter weather and more bitter cold temperatures on the way, flu cases may see an uptick sooner than later.

As of Wednesday morning, St. Joseph has 180 confirmed cases of the flu, but flu season has yet to see its peak, so those numbers are expected to rise.

“Being in intense weather can decrease your immune response,” said Holly Hazzard, clinic supervisor at the St. Joseph Health Department. “Your body is trying so hard just to stay alive in cold weather. So your immunity is just not up to par like it would be. We do anticipate that having an effect on our flu numbers.”

While it’s one of many seasonal sicknesses, the flu is the only illness still tracked by the health department; COVID-19 hasn’t been tracked for a year.

“The state no longer requires it to be counted,” Hazzard said. “Some counties have really good self-reporting or they have self-reporting databases where if you test positive at home, you can go in and report it. We don’t have anything like that because of the size and capacity of our county.”

Not only are sicknesses like COVID-19 not being counted in the way they were previously, but some doctors are no longer automatically providing tests, requiring patients to request one if they choose.

“We have seen that some doctors, just from reporting from our patients and the people that we interact with, that they’re not doing those tests for flu and COVID-19,” Hazzard said. “My best guess would be that that’s because there’s typically not treatment for flu. Unless you have severe symptoms, they’re going to tell you to let it run its course. So they opted not to do the testing.”

The health department has COVID-19 vaccines and flu shots available. They have moved back downstairs in Patee Market as repairs have been completed from a late 2022 flood.

Additionally, RSV vaccines are expected to be available soon.

“We are expecting a delivery probably in the next two weeks,” Hazzard said. “For those who have insurance and for children who do not have insurance.”