“Up until the past few days, we had only seen a handful of flu cases,” said Kirsten Cutler, communications manager at Park Ridge.
Though Cutler said it’s too soon to tell how this year’s flu season compares with 2012, she did say, “In North Carolina, it seems to have had a slower start this year.”
But if the flu was off to a slow start, it was also steady. Centers for Disease Control reported the flu was widespread in all parts of North Carolina for the week ending Dec. 28. Earlier this week, the state health department confirmed the total number of flu-related deaths had risen to 13.
“We can say the flu is definitely in Henderson County,” said Henderson County Health Department Communications Specialist Kim Horton.
Making preparations
Hospitals throughout the region have been preparing for the coming wave. Earlier this week, Mission Health implemented visitor limitations since the flu virus is highly contagious.
“Our patients are our first priority, and their health and safety is paramount,” said Dr. Dale Fell, senior vice president and system chief medical officer of Mission Health.
The restriction urges children younger than 12 and people who do not feel well to visit with patients by phone rather
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