You'd be hard pressed to convince anyone spending this Mardi Gras season shivering under a blanket while fighting body aches and a fever that the flu season was winding down but it is. That's the good news from the State Department of Health and Hospitals. The bad news is, we aren't done with the flu yet so don't let your guard down.

Dr. Frank Welch director of the DHH tells the Louisiana Radio Network that visits to the doctor because of flu are down significantly. During the height of the flu season 8 of every 100 trips to a healthcare provider was because of flu or flu like symptoms. That number is now down to 5 of every 100 trips.

"But that's still quite a bit, meaning about 5 out of every 100 visit to the doctor is still for the flu, so it's still going on,"

Welch's office speculates that some 50-thousand Louisiana residents have had the flu so far this season. There is still enough flu activity for thousands more to become infected and need treatment. Dr. Welch echoes what we have seen around the radio station. Those that have gotten the flu have had a tough time getting over it or have found themselves fighting off another illness because of their weakened condition.

"It's one that really takes it out of people and then secondary complications, meaning you get the flu now, but then four weeks, six weeks from now, it makes any other problem worse,"

Healthcare providers remind us that the best medicine for the flu is prevention. That can be accomplished by using some common sense methods of hygiene around the house. Among the easiest ways to help prevent the spread of flu is simple hand washing.

 

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