Flu cases spike in northeast Florida
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. --
Tourists love to visit the nation's oldest city.
But according to emergency care center, Care Spot, tourists are one of the reasons we've seen a spike in flu cases in our area.
"Like every five years I catch it," said tourist Chris Reynolds.
According to Reynolds, the symptoms are nothing short of feeling like you got hit by a bus.
"It was awful hot and cold flashes, sweating in bed, can't breathe, can't eat, can't do anything, really just lie there and be miserable," said Reynolds.
Centers like Care Spot see new flu cases daily.
According to the center manager, one of the main reasons is because of the travel season.
"We see a lot of tourists, especially here in St. Augustine, so I think everyone is just bringing different bugs to the area and it's flu season," said Christina Hovnanian, Care Spot Center Manager.
According to the Care Spot, since December 26, they have seen an increase of 167-percent of patients with the flu.
But the figure is even more staggering in the Jacksonville area. Action News has learned there has been a 342-percent increase.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida is one of the states with the highest number of flu cases.
Prevention is key to avoid getting sick.
"You wanna make sure that you're washing your hands and getting rest. If you start noticing symptoms, get in to see a doctor as soon as possible to take advantage of some of the medications that are out there," said Hovnanian.
Check out the flu-tracker on the CDC's website for more information about the flu.
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