Flu's Surging in San Diego

The flu isn't messing around this year. Bret and Veronica talk to Dr. Scott Flinn. He says he sees one COVID case for every ten cases of the Flu.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, the flu is surging around the country and California
is no stranger to it. For that matter. Doctors are busy,
emergency rooms are packed.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Joining us now in the Cogo studio, Doctor Scott Flynn
from Blue Shield, thank you so much for coming in.

Speaker 3 (00:14):
Doctor, Thanks for having me Ronic and Brett.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
So we were just talking to you that Brett was
out for multiple days even though both of us had
the flu shot at the same time. That's what you're
seeing though, the flu everywhere, right, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
It's a pretty big year for flu, one of the
biggest years we've had in recent times, and quite a
lot of folks coming in seeing much more flu than covid.
I'd see probably ten to one flu over covid.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
Do you think it's because the flu shot doesn't hit
the mark as it does every other season.

Speaker 3 (00:44):
Actually, the flu shot doesn't hit the mark every other season.
It's a we try to get a fifty sixty percent match.
That's a pretty good match for the year. The yes,
it's not as good a match this year. It's the
old subclade K sounds very ominous, right, H three and
two that's going around. It's a type A variant and
what that means is the flu vaccine that we got

(01:05):
didn't quite cover that. But what it does do is
prevents you from dying or from getting very ill having
to be in the hospital. So not great match for
preventing pretty good match still for preventing you from having
bad outcomes.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
So he could have been even more sick.

Speaker 3 (01:20):
He could have been much more sick.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
Okay, So is there also a problem that people aren't
getting the flu shot?

Speaker 3 (01:25):
Yes, of course, we all know that nationally flu vaccine
rates are way down. Trying to work on that. The
next question, of course, is is it okay to still
get the flu shot? And the answer is yes because
later on the season now we tend to see the
flub very income back around. So still okay to go
get your flu shots. Still recommend it, particularly for the

(01:46):
young and the old, because they're the most acceptible to
have those very bad outcomes.

Speaker 1 (01:51):
We're speaking with doctor Scott Flynn in studio from Blue Shield.
My question to my telehealth doctor because that was the
only appointment I can get. He just was spitballing and
he said, you probably have a respiratory infection. My body
thermostat was wacky. I mean, I was sweating even though
I was chilly for thirteen fourteen hours straight. It was nuts.

(02:14):
In what my question to him was, when is it
safe to return to work. I don't want to get
people sick or be vulnerable to somebody else catching this bug.

Speaker 3 (02:22):
Yes, so two things. One, return to work, return to activity,
turn around people. Twenty four hours after your symptom free
and that means no fever. Off of meds, taking your
tile and all your motor and your eye, your profen
you're still maybe masking the fever, So twenty four hours
after the fever's gone, you're good. Also, if you get it,

(02:43):
there's also flu tests that you can get and that
probably is what you had. Giving what's going around. You
can test for that. And there are anti viral medicines
now that can help you decrease the severity and duration
of your illness. So if you get it and you
get tested with it in forty eight hours of symptoms,
there may be a treatment for you that can help
you a little bit.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
As a doctor, is it I'm assuming that I know
the answer to this really frustrating when you see someone
just absolutely terribly sick, maybe an older person or maybe
a baby, and they could have prevented it, and they didn't.

Speaker 3 (03:20):
Yeah, that's one of the interesting things about being a
doctor and seeing human nature. It's really fascinating sometimes what
we do and don't do for ourselves.

Speaker 1 (03:29):
Yeah, that's true. How are you keeping yourself safe from
the flu?

Speaker 3 (03:33):
Well, obviously I get my vaccine and I also in
addition to working for Blue Shield, I also work in
urgent care and when I'm in there, I mask up.
We have the N ninety five mass. Still wash my
hands after seeing every patient. Washing your hands really helps
prevent transmission. There was a study that came out, I
think it was last year, showed it once again, like

(03:55):
your mama told you wash your hands.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah, my mom was a fanatic about it. A matter
of fact, I have dry hands most of the time
because I washed probably too much. But I don't even
know if a doctor would ever say no, no, no, you're
washing various thing.

Speaker 3 (04:07):
Is washing your hands too much? Right?

Speaker 2 (04:08):
All right, all right, well, doctor Film, We appreciate it
every time you come in. You know, really this is
great because we don't need anybody to get sick, and
especially if they're in that vulnerable group, the older people,
the real small babies. So thank you very.

Speaker 3 (04:25):
Much my pleasure. Thanks for having me again.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
Thanks doctor. You're welcome anytime.