Delayed flu puzzles doctors

By REBECCA WALSH AND NZPA

Health officials say a late peak in flu numbers is a "mystery" and it is impossible to tell if the situation will get worse before it gets better.

June and July are typically the worst months for flu but this year the number of people seeking help from their GP for flu-like illness did not start to spike until mid-August.

An Auckland medical officer of health, Dr Nicholas Jones, said warmer than usual weather in June and July followed by a cold snap in August could be one reason for the late onset of the illness.

Dr Jones said there was debate about why cold weather increased flu numbers. One theory was that people spent more time indoors "coughing on each other", while others believed the cold weather affected the cells lining the respiratory passages, reducing their ability to protect against illness.

"The fact it's late and we are in spring now makes me feel optimistic it's not going to last as it might have at the beginning of winter," he said.

Latest figures show the number of people contracting the flu has continued to rise since mid-August. About one in every 686 people in Auckland went to their GP with flu-like illness in the week to last Sunday.

The increase in flu numbers has put pressure on already stretched hospital emergency departments and many hospitals are having to postpone some elective surgery.

This week Rotorua Hospital postponed about six operations because of a shortage of beds and nurses. Several dozen people were admitted with flu-like symptoms at the weekend.

A spokeswoman said many of the patients admitted with respiratory symptoms had visited their GPs earlier but the virulence of the flu bug meant they needed to be admitted to hospital.

North Shore Hospital put an ad in newspapers at the weekend urging people to see their doctor at the first sign of illness, in an effort to reduce the stress on its emergency department.

Dr Garry Clearwater, clinical director of emergency medicine at North Shore, said the extreme peak in the hospital's emergency department had eased but it was still overloaded.

Dr Jones said anyone with the flu should stay away from work or school to avoid passing it on to others. They could expect to be sick for up to 10 days.