MedStar: Flu-Related Calls Are Already Way Up From This Time Last Year

Fort Worth, TX (WBAP/KLIF) – The Centers for Disease Control says last flu season was the worst since 2009, with 80-thousand deaths, which makes new stats from MedStar a bit troubling.

The ambulance service serving Tarrant County says it has already responded to five times as many patients with flu-like illness since September first through November 26, as they did this time last year.

In real numbers, according to Medstar’s Matt Zavadsky says they’ve treated 226 patients, compared to 44 during this time in 2017 — and that’s just about a month into a new flu season.

Analyzing the 226 cases:

· The average age is 45, with the youngest 9 months and oldest 94 years.

· 57% of the patients are female

· The highest prevalence zip code in MedStar’s service area is 76112 in far east Fort Worth.

Zavadsky says he’s hoping the trend does not continue, but he joins the CDC and other health agencies in urging residents to seriously consider getting a flu shot.

MedStar share their findings with other county health departments to see if the trend is evident across North Texas.

Nationally, flu illness is still relatively low compared to Tarrant County.