COLDWATER (WTVB) – It’s back to school Monday across Branch County as 2015 has arrived and the two-week holiday break comes to an end. And with classes starting up again, students, teachers, and parents will be hearing about how the flu season arrived early this year and precautions need to be taken to slow the spread of the illness.
The big spike in the flu in much of West Michigan hasn’t been officially noted by the health department in Coldwater as far as any updated numbers on local flu cases but a report from the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health agency is likely before the end of the month. WOOD-TV reports that almost 17 percent of the people who visited emergency departments in the last week in Kent County had flu-like symptoms, the highest percentage the county has recorded since the 2009 flu season.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says right now, the flu is widespread in 36 states including Michigan. The most common flu symptoms are sore throat, coughing, fever, runny nose or congestion, headaches, body aches and fatigue. Health officials say vomiting or diarrhea can be expected more often in kids than in adults.
