Remember Swine Flu? H1N1, Other Strains Back This Season in Maryland

Flu cases are on the rise across Maryland, and the H1N1 virus that caused a pandemic in 2009 is among the strains.

The state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reported “widespread” flu activity in mid January and expects the number of people who get sick, require hospitalization or die from flu to peak in late February.

But the flu has two strikes against it this year: The vaccine protects against the three most common strains of the virus, including H1N1, and people are getting better at personal hygiene, said Dr. Jeff Sternlicht, chairman of emergency medicine at Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) in Baltimore.

“Overall hygiene has markedly improved since last year,” he said. “Hand-washing, coughing into the arm … people have really been much more vigilant.”

GBMC saw a surge of patients in its emergency department in October 2009 with flu-like symptoms. Most tested positive for seasonal flu strain A, meaning they could have H1N1, also known as “swine flu.” The numbers leveled off as winter approached.

This year, most area hospitals began seeing a few patients for flu-like symptoms in early fall. The numbers have steadily increased throughout December and January.

In December, GBMC saw more than 100 people in its emergency department with cold and flu symptoms. In just the first week of January, it saw 33 people.

“They’re starting to creep up,” Sternlicht said.

The same is true at Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie.

“In the last two weeks, the number of cases have increased,” said Carol Ann Sperry, director of emergency and psychiatric nursing, “but still not as bad as last year’s flu.”

At Howard County General Hospital in Columbia, most of the patients coming to the emergency department with flu-like symptoms are children, hospital spokeswoman Sharon Sopp said.

At Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, the emergency department is seeing more patients with flu-like symptoms this month, but none have been admitted, spokeswoman Ronna Borenstein said.

“It’s still early,” Sternlicht said. “We’ll see what this year brings us.”

Symptoms of the seasonal flu can range from a high fever, headache and fatigue to a cough, sore throat, body aches and — especially among children — diarrhea and vomiting.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people who have a higher risk of complications from the flu include:

• Children less than 5 years old
• People 65 and older
• Pregnant women
• Residents of nursing homes or chronic-care facilities
• Adults and children with chronic disorders like asthma, heart disease and diabetes
• Children and teens who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who might be at risk for Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection

Doctors recommend the influenza vaccine, regular hand-washing, covering a cough and staying away from crowded living and sleeping spaces to protect against the virus. The CDC recommends people 6 months and older get vaccinated.

“Most people are going to be fine,” Sternlicht said. “But it’s still not too late to be immunized.”