Jan 11, 2012
Doctors' offices across Central New York are packed with sick patients and 'What's Going Around' might surprise you. It's not influenza - at least not yet. More than 500 people were treated before 4 p.m. Monday and the phones were still ringing off the hook Tuesday at CNY Family Care in East Syracuse. Amanda Carelli made a visit after coming down with a fever and sore throat. Turns out she's far from alone. "We are being inundated with phone calls for sinus infectious, bronchitis, infection of the stomach, bacterial infections, viral infections," Family Physician Dr. Louis Bonavita said. While the spread of the stomach bug and respiratory infections aren't anything new at this time of year, the sheer number of people getting sick is different. It may have to do with Central New York's mild winter, especially when it comes to sinus infections. Snow and cold usually keep mold and fungus in check. "That may inflame people's sinuses via allergy symptoms. Then, you get a secondary viral or bacterial infection," Dr. Bonavita said. If you do get sick, follow Amanda's lead and take a day off. Other advice for preventing the spread of illnesses includes hand washing, using hand sanitizer and coughing into your arm, not your hand. CNY Family Care just had its first patient admitted to the hospital because of the flu. Doctors encourage flu shots, as they expects influenza to pick up over the next two weeks. NewsChannel 9 also spoke with Dr. Robert Dracker Tuesday. He says it's hard to determine if the flu may be holding off because of the mild weather. He says it could also be due to the fact that more people are getting immunized. Dr. Dracker adds it's been the mildest flu season he's seen in a very long time and when that happens, people tend to see respiratory illnesses fill the void.
Biohazard name: Flu-like disease