It hasn't been business as usual at Uptown Pharmacy & Wellness in Shorewood as Wisconsin experiences a significant surge in respiratory illness, particularly affecting southeast Wisconsin.
Mazen Seddick, who owns and operates the pharmacy on Oakland, said his business has been unusually busy this flu season.
"This year there was something running around that a lot of people caught unfortunately," Seddick said.
"This year there was a significant spike in flu cases and also in the demand of flu shots," Seddick said.
According to the Department of Health Services, there is a surge in respiratory illness across the state, with southeast Wisconsin being particularly affected.
The increased flu activity has prompted people who haven't received flu shots in years to seek vaccination.
“I have seen patients who haven’t gotten the flu shot in over a year, like two or three years but now they decided to take it because people around them have already caught the flu," Seddick said.
He has also noticed an increase in people needing prescriptions for flu medications.
"We got a lot of prescriptions for the flu medication. The Tamiflu, Oseltamivir, for people. Like we got a lot daily. Which I haven’t seen much in a few years," Seddick said.
Watch: Healthcare professionals describe busy flu season as cases rise in Wisconsin
Jonathan Robinson, who tested positive for Influenza A, described his experience as particularly challenging.
"I was pretty much out for the count for about three days," Robinson said. "It's pretty brutal."
Despite getting his annual flu shot, Robinson still contracted the virus, but believes the vaccination may have prevented worse symptoms.
"I don't know what it would have been like, how bad my symptoms would have been if I didn't get the flu vaccine this year. I'm assuming it would have been a lot worse," Robinson said.
Healthcare worker Tamara Steffes has been seeing severe cases with patients experiencing high fevers, cough, dizziness, headaches, and nausea across all age groups. She noted that emergency rooms became more crowded after the holidays.
"I think after the holidays. It was more crowded, I guess, in the ER," Steffes said.
According to DHS data, hospitals around the Milwaukee area are seeing a rise in patients coming in with the flu, particularly in Milwaukee County.
Statement from ProHealth Care | Spike in respiratory illness:
"We are seeing a significant increase in the number of people suffering from the flu and other respiratory illnesses. Our clinics, urgent cares, emergency departments and virtual health services are all very busy. We continue to meet the needs of everyone who comes to us for care."
Statement from Dr. Mary Beth Graham, an infectious disease specialist with the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network:
"Froedtert Health has seen an increase in ED visits and hospitalizations related to influenza since mid-December. This is similar to last year's influenza season which was one of our more severe respiratory virus seasons since 2020.
It is not too late to get an influenza vaccine. Even though the predominant circulating influenza A strain has "drifted" from the one in the current vaccine, the vaccine should still offer partial protection against that strain. The other two influenza strains in the current vaccine will cover those viruses which will continue to circulate throughout this respiratory virus season."
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