Feeling achy? High fever? Does your head hurt? You’re not alone.
The flu is sweeping Wise County, and health officials report
seeing an increased number of cases just before Christmas, much
earlier than normal. “Last year I’m thinking it was February
before we started seeing the flu,” said nurse LeeAnn Cummings,
director of the emergency department at Wise Regional Health
System (WRHS) in Decatur. “This year it was before Christmas and
much heavier.” The Texas Department of State Health Services
reported that there were more flu cases reported in week 52
(Dec. 23-28) of 2012 than in the same week last year for Health
Service Region 2/3, of which Wise County is a part. There is no
legal requirement in Texas for reporting influenza, so the
numbers are only an estimate of actual cases. Tammy Little,
manager of the emergency room and intensive care unit at North
Texas Community Hospital in Bridgeport, said in the last 30 days
they have documented nine cases of type A influenza and 15 cases
of type B. She said the