According to state health officials, flu like illness accounted for 5.17 percent of hospital and clinic visits for the week that ended Feb. 9. That is higher than the peaks for the last four years.

The flu season last year peaked at 3.0 percent of doctor visits.

Person County Health Director Janet Clayton said Monday, “Yes, the flu situation here is widespread just as it across North Carolina and the country.”

Clayton said the typical flu symptoms this year are a fever of 100 or higher with a cough or sore throat.

“I remind people to stay at home if they have these symptoms and to keep their children at home if they exhibit these symptoms,” to avoid spreading the infection, said Clayton.

She added, “If someone is sick they need to avoid visiting people in the hospital and in nursing homes.”

Tracey Blevins, Emergency Department nurse manager at Person Memorial Hospital, said that, over the past two weeks, about 60 patients had visited the emergency room with flu symptoms such as body aches, fever, cough, congestion, headache and fatigue. Normally, said Blevins, the count would be 20 to 25 within a two-week period.

She said that the hospital performs the rapid flu swab and that patients had been diagnosed with a combination of Type A and B influenza. The Type A, she said, is the major culprit of this year’s suffering.

Those who got the flu vaccine early, in September or October, said Blevins, are probably not protected against the Type A virus.

When “the flu blooms late,” as it did this year, Blevins said, those who get early vaccinations are usually not covered.

Betty Fuller, head nurse at Roxboro Medical Associates, said her office had confirmed, by swab, seven cases of Type A influenza and one case of Type B over the past month.

That is “a little more than normal,” Fuller said, and the caseload has been “pretty steady.”

Some schools in Person County have seen excessive absences attributed to flu. At Stories Creek Elementary School, about five percent more students than usual were absent during the month of February and school officials say the absences were flu related.

South and Oak Lane elementary schools have also seen a few more cases of flu than normal over the past few weeks.

There has also been a high rate of absenteeism at Person High School as well.

Principal Margaret Bradsher said that for the entire month of February, “We’ve had a tremendous increase in absenteeism,” with over 10 percent of the student body out on any given day. Of the 1,669 students at the high school, said Bradsher, 188 were absent on Feb. 25, with most reporting flu as the reason for being out of school. On Monday of this week, PHS had 131 students out, and on Tuesday, the number was 109. Normal absenteeism is 88 to 92 students, Bradsher said.

PHS has also had a high rate of absences among faculty for the past month, with between nine and 14 faculty members absent “on a consistent basis,” Bradsher said.

By far, according to state health officials, the single best way to prevent the flu is for individuals, especially people at high risk for serious complications from the flu, to get a vaccination each fall. But, as PMH’s Blevins noted, this year’s flu appears to be coming from a strain or strains that the vaccine did not protect against.

Blevins said that, if a person is seen early enough, usually within the first 24 hours after the first symptoms, Tamiflu could decrease symptoms and the severity of the flu.

But, she said, the best medicine is usually over-the-counter cough and cold medicines, rest, plenty of fluids and staying out of contact with others who may be sick.

Parents should watch their children for high fever, a hacking cough, sore throat or not eating and drinking.

Health Director Clayton said recommendations for prevention of flu are to wash hands frequently, especially after contact with ill individuals and to “practice proper respiratory etiquette.”

That etiquette involves covering the mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Avoiding touching the eyes, nose and mouth are also recommended ways to help cut down on the spread of flu or other respiratory illnesses.

The flu season does not end until May.