VUMC Medical Intensive Care Unit sees surge in flu as cases spike in Tennessee
“Don’t think that you’re immortal because you’re only 30 years old and healthy because healthy people get the flu and healthy people get sick with the flu.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The Vanderbilt University Medical Center Medical Intensive Care Unit said the number of flu patients they’re treating has almost doubled since last week.
This comes as flu cases surge across Tennessee with the CDC reporting it to be in the top six states for highest case numbers.
No one knows this better than Dr. Todd Rice, director of VUMC’s Medical ICU. It’s the highest number he’s seen in intensive care since COVID when he said people were being more careful.
“Really this week we’ve really started to see more patients with critical illness in the ICU and really sort of the severe side of influenza infection,” Dr. Rice said.
He says most patients who need intensive care have an underlying health issue or complications, but not everyone.
“Don’t think that you’re immortal because you’re only 30 years old and healthy because healthy people get the flu and healthy people get sick with the flu,” Dr. Rice said.
So even young people like George Thompson, a student at Vanderbilt University, say they’re washing their hands extra and staying away from anyone who is sick.
“It’s definitely going around,” Thompson said, “With a busy schedule, being sick is kind of the last thing you want, but if it happens, it happens.”
Dr. Rice also says despite what he’s heard people say it is not too late to get vaccinated. It takes between a week and 10 days to take effect and he estimates the surge will last through the month.
“As soon as you get it, you start getting some immunity and that will help protect you,” Dr. Rice said. “It may not prevent you from actually getting the flu, but it will make it so that when you get the flu you have a less severe illness than if you didn’t have a vaccination.”
He added that if you think you do have the flu make sure to see a doctor as soon as possible because there are treatments to help.
“Don’t wait five days and then say, ‘Oh, maybe I’ll see my doctor.’ Because that’s probably too late for the treatment to really be helpful,” Dr. Rice said.
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