By Dale Bass
Kamloops This Week
The A/H3N2 flu is in the Kamloops region — but it’s expected to peak soon and then begin to fade away.
Dr. Robert Parker, a medical officer of health with the Interior Health Authority, said the estimate is based on previous years dealing with the various strains of influenza A, with a caution.
“You never know for sure you are past the peak until you see a decline in activity,” he said.
No numbers are available of reported cases of the virus, which brings with it aching muscles, fever, sore throat, fatigue and an incessant hacking cough, but Parker estimated more than 90 per cent of respiratory infections occurring in the IHA region are due to the influenza A virus circulating.
The cough can persist for up to two weeks or longer for those with asthma or chronic lung conditions.
Parker said the timing is typical for the virus, which usually appears between Christmas and early January.
While the flu-shot vaccine being used now has not provided full protection against A/H3N2, Parker recommends people still get the shot because it can reduce the severity of the virus and provides protection against other flu strains that may be present in the area.