Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 13, 1994 TAG: 9402130064
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: D-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LAURA WILLIAMSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Chances are, you don't.
Chances are, you've got some virus with a funny name. There's a lot of that going around.
A lot.
"At the hospitals, business is booming right now," said Dr. Doug Blevins, an infectious-disease specialist for Lewis-Gale Clinic.
Roanoke Valley doctors report thousands of patients with viral and respiratory illnesses have been treated since December, the traditional start of flu season.
There's a lot of flu running around, too. It's just not running around here.
"The Roanoke Valley has not been hit very hard. It's just a quirk," said Dr. Aubrey Knight, a family doctor and geriatric specialist at Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
Good thing. This year's flu strain - Type A, Beijing - is a nasty one. The harsher of the two flu types, it cropped up toward the end of last year's flu season, then reappeared with a vengeance in December, causing a national epidemic.
It can lead to pneumonia - even death.
The flu did hit Western Virginia; in official numbers, it struck 129 people west of Lynchburg during its peak the last week of January. But health officials say most of what's sending people to the hospital around here is technically something that's, well, flu-like.
"It's a conglomeration of several syndromes," Blevins said.
Something gastrointestinal. At least three different respiratory diseases. A little viral bronchitis. Something called mycoplasma, which can cause pneumonia.
So how do you tell the difference? And why should you care?
You should care what it is, Blevins said, because some of this can be treated. But you've got to know what to call it first.
If it's flu, it'll hit you suddenly. One day you're fine; the next day you ache all over. Then there's a high fever, headache, maybe a dry cough.
If you feel nauseated, it likely isn't influenza, said Dr. Clifford Nottingham, a family practice physician from Roanoke.
"It makes you feel pretty crummy, nonetheless," he said.
If your problem is gastrointestinal, Blevins said, drink lots of fluids so you don't become dehydrated. If you're a diabetic and you get this, have your blood sugar checked.
Elderly or chronically ill people - particularly those with heart or lung disease - should be especially careful, Blevins said. They are more likely to die from influenza or from lower-respiratory infections.
If you do get the flu, it's important to have it treated right away, doctors said. Two drugs - amantadine and rimantadine - can shorten the duration of the illness and relieve some of the symptoms.
They must be prescribed by your doctor, and are available in generic form at pharmacies for less than $10.
Health departments do not recommend getting a flu shot at this point if you have not had one. Dr. Molly Rutledge, director of the Alleghany Health District and acting director of the Roanoke Health Department, said it probably is not necessary because the number of flu cases in Western Virginia has been lower than in past years.
But others disagree.
"I never say it's too late," Dr. Jody Hershey said.
Hershey, an ambulatory care physician for the Communicare Urgent Care Center, said people still may come down with the flu for another one to two months. The shots take two weeks to become effective.
"I can't stress enough," he said, "the need to be vaccinated."
by CNB