Marian Medical Center Reports Drop in Flu Cases After Intense Season

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – We’ve experienced an unusually long flu season on the Central Coast, but an official at Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria says it appears to be slowing down.

Dr. Charles R. Merrill, MD, FACEP, the hospital's chief medical officer, says they saw more cases of Influenza A than Influenza B this year, with the peak occurring in December.

“The symptoms people experience when they have respiratory viruses are the ones we typically recognize—cold and flu symptoms such as cough, body aches, fever, and so on. Most of these can be treated at home,” says Dr. Merrill.

He also notes that there are still some cases of COVID-19 being reported, particularly among the elderly and those with preexisting respiratory conditions.

“But over the last couple of months, or about a month and a half, it's really improved significantly.”

Dr. Merrill says the biggest red-flag symptom that should prompt concern and a trip to the emergency room is experiencing severe shortness of breath.

“Or if you become so sick that you can't eat or you're not producing urine. Otherwise, most respiratory viruses can be managed adequately at home,” he says.

While he is confident that we do not see indications of another COVID-level pandemic anytime soon, he is concerned about funding changes for vaccine development.

“Typically, our scientists look at the flu strains observed in places like Australia and use that data to determine what the vaccine should be each year, gambling that we will see the same strains of influenza. However, with recent cutbacks at the NIH and the World Health Organization, we may be pulled out of that process. I’m hoping we still have adequate data,” says Dr. Merrill.

Health officials continue to encourage hand-washing, distancing from sick individuals, sneezing into your elbow, and staying up to date on vaccinations to help protect against viruses.