There have been large increases in confirmed flu cases over the last two weeks, according to the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.
Health officials are asking anyone with flu symptoms, including a cough, runny nose and fever, who don’t have additional medical conditions or severe symptoms to manage their illness at home. They suggest patients receive care by calling their provider or by using telemedicine portals. Information on what to do if you have the flu, where virtual care options are available and what symptoms are severe enough for direct medical care are available here.
Both CoxHealth and Mercy have implemented new restrictions on visitors who are ill. Anyone with respiratory symptoms or those who have been exposed to someone with symptoms are asked to not visit patients in any hospital facility.
Mercy currently restricts children 14 and under from visiting their baby units. CoxHealth currently restricts children from visiting the NICU at Cox South.
The number of flu cases in Greene County jumped from 165 on January 17 to 669 on January 31.
There had been 21 influenza-associated deaths in Missouri as of February 1. The season-to-date total in the state was 34,635, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
