The University Medical Center reinstated normal visitation rules on Feb. 9 after a decline in the unusually high number of influenza cases reported this season by the University Medical Center and Student Health.
Student Health treated a total of 437 confirmed cases of the flu this season, a record amount compared to last year when only 130 students reported with the virus. The only time Student Health witnessed more cases of the flu was in the 2009-10 season when H1N1 — otherwise known as swine flu — spread throughout the United States and resulted in over a thousand cases reported to Student Health.
University Health System spokesperson Eric Swensen said his personal experience echoed these findings.
“[It has been] the most active flu season we have had in the past several years,” he said.
As a result of the high number of cases — as many as 78 in one week — visitation hours and visitors were restricted in order to protect the frail conditions of some of the patients.
Meredith Hayden, director of general medicine at Student Health, said the flu season requires the health center to increase staffing to better handle the higher volume of patients.
“We’ve upped our staffing to respond to the influx,” Hayden said. “We have more available appointments, we’ve made nurses more available by phones for questions.”
Swensen said visitors were limited to only two at a time and could either visit immediate family members or care partners. Children under the age of 12 were not allowed visiting time, unless special circumstances applied.
Although the number of flu vaccinations were relatively high this year, the vaccine proved to be only about 23 percent effective in preventing the flu. Hayden said this is probably due to the strain of flu which is making its way throughout the community.
“This year’s predominant strain of flu A that is circulating through the community is not a good match for the flu A strain that is in the vaccine,” Hayden said.
Public health officials normally analyze trends of influenza in other countries to develop vaccines containing the most likely strains to appear in America. It is a prediction, Hayden said, and this time it did not match up with the actual influenza virus which struck Grounds.
The vaccine may not be wholly effective against the influenza virus due to antigenic drift — a mechanism in viruses which allows variation, Hayden said. Despite the virus’ widely infectious nature, the intensity of the flu does not seem to be enhanced.
“Although we’ve seen a lot more cases, it does not seem like it’s any more severe of a flu,” Hayden said. “There many of the same typical flu symptoms, and we haven’t had any higher rates of hospitalization.”
In light of this year’s abnormal circumstances, both Hayden and Swensen stress the importance of getting vaccinated.
“[The vaccine] can decrease the severity of your illness and the risk of needing to go on to hospitalization or face more serious consequences,” Hayden said.
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