Kingston hospitals seeing rise in people being admitted with influenza

A physician at KHSC says people are mixing up the cold and flu and that is creating misinformation.

Hospitals across the province are seeing more people being admitted for influenza than in previous years.

That includes Kingston General and Hotel Dieu hospitals.

Dr. Gerald Evans, Medical Director of Infection Control at Kingston Health Sciences Centre, says there are a couple of factors contributing to rise in the number of people going to the hospital with flu symptoms.

Evans also says a good number of cases occurred when children were still in school.

While the cold and the flu share some common symptoms, Evans says what makes the flu different than the common cold is how it affects the body.

Evans says people who come into the hospital thinking that they have the flu actually have a cold, and those who feel deathly sick often turn out to be having the flu.

He says some believe the cold and flu are interchangeable terms but that is creating misinformation.

Experts say of the best ways to prevent the flu is to get the flu vaccine. Though Evans says it has had not much of an effect on this year's strain.

Evans says when people with the flu, or think they have the flu, go to the hospital, it creates a log jam of patients who are also waiting to see a doctor for other ailments.

Evans says the best thing people can do when they have the flu is to stay home and wait until the symptoms improve and you feel better.

Story by Ken Hashizume