Windsor Regional Hospital is seeing more respiratory illness cases, mostly Influenza A.
In the past week, 90 individuals tested positive for influenza A compared to 70 individuals the week before.
There are also 13 people hospitalized with influenza A.
Director of Infection Control at Windsor Regional Hospital Erika Vitale told AM800's Mornings with Mike and Meg that the best thing to do is stay home for five days from the onset of illness.
"After five days, you might still have a little bit of a cough; in fact, you will have a bit of a cough still, but you're unlikely to spread it at that point. Five days from onset, so if I get sick today, which is the 18th, I would not want to see anybody until like the 23rd or 24th," she says.
This year, health officials around the world have been tracking a new strain of influenza A, referred to as H3N2, which is known to cause more severe illness in young children, older adults, and individuals with underlying health conditions.
The influenza virus can cause symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, and a general feeling of being unwell.
Vitale says we usually hit the peak of the flu season here in the first two weeks of January, so there's still time to get a flu shot.
"It usually takes around two weeks for you to develop a good immune response to the vaccine. However, I would argue it's not too late to get in now as soon as possible because we haven't reached the peak yet," she says.
Along with getting a flu shot to help prevent or lessen symptoms of the flu, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit recommends people:
- Stay home when feeling sick.
- Wear a mask in crowded or indoor spaces, particularly if you are at higher risk of complications.
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Cough or sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue.
- Regularly clean and disinfect areas that are often touched by others (e.g., doorknobs).
Residents are encouraged to speak with their healthcare provider about getting vaccinated or to find a local pharmacy offering flu and/or COVID-19 vaccines by visiting www.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations.