LOUISVILLE, Ky. — New testing in Louisville shows flu season is almost here. The city is monitoring wastewater and found flu cases have doubled in just a few weeks.
Experts at UofL Health report 2022's flu season was particularly bad for children; more than 180 children were killed by the flu nation-wide.
Most of those cases were in previously healthy children with no underlying conditions.
But the good news is, pediatricians say precautions work.
"The wastewater data we have is really important, because that's a sign that flu season is almost here," Dr. Kris Bryant said. "And if people have not yet had their flu shot, now is the time to make an appointment to get a flu shot.
Bryant added using some of the precautions taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, like hand washing and social distancing, can help.
"What we would predict based on activity in other parts of the country, and the wastewater data, that we're really, we expect to start seeing flu case and a lot of flu cases very soon," Bryant said. "We can minimize some of those, if more people are vaccinated."
It is still too early to tell if this year will be a high or low flu season.
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