Memorial Health physicians urge vaccination as flu hospitalizations spike

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) -Flu cases are spiking across the area as doctors at Memorial Health report patients are showing more severe flu symptoms than what’s been seen in previous years.

Memorial Health says it’s seeing a sharp uptick in flu cases following the busy holiday season. Dr. Timothy Connelly, an internal medicine physician at Memorial Health, said the illness typically begins with mild symptoms.

“It starts out with just a scratchy throat,” Connelly said. “But once they start getting fevers, body aches and this terrible cough, those are the individuals I recommend get tested for flu, COVID and any additional things.”

Peak season approaches

Flu season is in full swing in the southeast and across Georgia, especially as people return to work and school.

“Historically, the first week into February is the peak of flu season,” Connelly said. “So again, that correlates with kids going back to school, giving it to each other, bringing it home to other families.”

Connelly said in December, they’ve seen a thousand more cases of people hospitalized with the flu throughout the region, in their own hospitals and sister hospitals.

“There is a high probability we’re going to see even more flu,” Connelly said. “And I don’t remember ever seeing 22 people hospitalized with flu in our facility before today.”

Hospitalizations affect all ages

The average age of those hospitalized is 63. Many have underlying health conditions but not all.

“There are a lot of people that are reasonably healthy,” Connelly said. “And now they are on two liters of oxygen, for instance. And that’s not typical for them.”

Connelly said the best protection is getting a flu shot.

“A lot of people that I talked to that I’ve been seeing with the flu over the last day or so, have not been vaccinated for the flu in a few years,” he said.

He said that patients who did get vaccinated aren’t in the hospital right now.

The Effingham County, Bryan County, and Liberty County Health Departments are all offering free flu shots for uninsured kids and adults.