Health Official Offers Flu Season Advice

TYLER — Local hospitals are still seeing a lot of patients with the flu, but it’s recommended to call your doctor before heading to the emergency room. Dr. William Moore, director of ETMC’S EMS, tells KETK if you are otherwise healthy and you feel like you’re coming down with the flu, stay at home. He says the flu test is only accurate 54 percent of the time, so you could have the flu and the test wouldn’t even pick it up, and you will most likely end up waiting hours at the ER. He says patients who have chronic illnesses are the ones that should seek medical attention immediately.

Moore advises, “Stay at home for 24 hours after the fever is gone, unaffected by Tylenol or aspirin. Don’t take anything for fever, and if you then don’t have a fever give it 24 hours. That’s when you know it’s OK to go back to work.” Moore added not to go out and run your errands if you’re sick, because you’re only infecting other people. He says if you have to go somewhere, he highly suggests wearing a mask so the nasty virus stops spreading.