WORST OF A 'MIXED BAG OF MISERY' NOW APPEARS TO BE OVER

A "mixed bag of misery" has afflicted area residents with a number of illnesses in recent weeks, but the worst appears to be over.

Charlotte Craig, director of the Cape County Public Health Center, said cases of bronchitis, flu and flu-like illnesses and upper-respiratory infections are up significantly in Cape Girardeau County. Health department officials throughout the state compile a weekly disease surveillance report to determine disease outbreaks noted in county schools, child care facilities, clinics and hospitals.

Craig said some 220 cases of influenza were confirmed between Nov. 28 and Jan. 2, as compared to only three confirmed cases last year. She said she was unsure whether the illnesses were confirmed through educated guesses or laboratory tests.

Influenza is a viral infection that affects the upper-respiratory system.

"I hope it's over, but from the looks of things, I'm not sure," she said.

Cape Girardeau and Jackson school officials said student and staff absences went up just before Christmas break in mid-December due to illness. However, everything seemed to be back within normal ranges when classes resumed Monday.

"We were glad to keep the kids away from each other during that time over the holidays," said Jackson School District associate superintendent Fred Jones. "I think we missed the brunt of it."

Spokespersons from Cape Girardeau hospitals and clinics said patient levels peaked last week with people requesting care for influenza-like symptoms that ranged from fever and chills to body aches, cough and congestion.

Sally Owen of Southeast Missouri Hospital said emergency room visits are up markedly over recent years. On Sunday, 147 patients, about one-third more than normal, visited Southeast Hospital's emergency room.

"What happened was we were setting records or near-records in patients," she said. "It was just a mixed bag of misery."

No information was available from Saint Francis Medical Center, although one emergency room nurse reported seeing patients "by the bunches."

Jay Wolz, administrator at PRN Urgent Care Clinic, said he was among some 80 percent of clinic patients last week who complained of flu-like symptoms. The bulk of patients visited the clinic the day after Christmas, he said.

"Fortunately, it seems like the flu rush is dying down," said Wolz. "For a while there, it was pretty bad."

Dr. Gerald Dennis II, who works at the clinic, said none of his patients have been confirmed through special testing to have the flu. He was unsure how many of his patients had a flu shot in the fall.

"I was too busy to actually find that out, but it would be interesting to see how many people did have a flu shot," Dennis said. "I guess that's something we'll hear later from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control)."

Jane Wernsman with the Cape County Public Health Center said visits to the health department's rural health center were normal for this time of year. The clinic, which provides medical services for children, consistently sees more patients in winter months, when children are more likely to be ill.

Wernsman said increased efforts and better public information has resulted in the health department giving more flu shots this season than in years past. The department currently is out of the flu vaccine.