Is The Worst Of The Flu Over? - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

This flu season has impacted many people across the country, and hospitals have been busy.

So is the worst of the flu over for the season? We hear two different answers, from two different hospitals.

<<"This year has been much busier for the flu, I know the number of patients we saw overall was much higher than last year," Emergency Physician David Gayton said.

There's no doubt this flu season has been worse than previous years.

Both St. Alexius and Sanford Health have been testing more people this year for the flu.

"You always have to be constantly on guard with what you do with your hands, in fact even here at the hospital I try once I walk in this door, never to put my hands on my face until I walk out, and if I do I get my hands washed," Infectious Disease Consultant Kent Martin said.

So have we seen the worst of the flu this season?

"I would say over the last week that is has kind of peaked, that was one of the concerns is, has it peaked or will it get worse," Gayton said.

Dr. Kent Martin with Sanford Health, disagrees.

"No, we expect that it may even get worse, really? Yes," Martin said.

If more people do continue to get the flu, it's important to know the difference between the flu, and the common cold.

"The difference between a regular ol' upper respiratory infection and the flu, generally you're going to have higher fevers for a longer period of time, you're going to have severe body aches, headaches, you might have a mild cough," Gayton said.

It's not too late to get the flu shot either, but supplies are running short.

"We're down to less than 1000 and we're not going to get anymore, I've been giving it out today," Martin said.

If you've already received the flu shot, Dr. Martin says it will last for the remainder of the flu season.>>

Even though both St. Alexius and Sanford have been testing more people for the flu than years past, St. Alexius has now stopped testing people for the flu and are treating them right away if they have the typical symptoms of the flu.