Jamie M.: This is Med Talk presented by HCA Midwest Health. I'm Jamie Monticelli with Rachel Hailey, MD, primary care physician for Lee's Summit Medical Center and HCA Midwest Health. It is the dreaded cold and flu season here in Kansas City, and doctors at HCA Midwest Health tell us we're in the middle of a particularly bad season with a contagious virus hitting the workplace and schools all across the Metro. Dr. Rachel Haley is here with important updates about flu in the Metro, what you can do to keep your family healthy, and why it's not too late to get a flu shot. She also has news about a personal healthcare navigation tool just introduced by HCA that might help keep you out of the urgent care and doctor's office this season. Okay. First, let's talk about the flu because every day we're hearing some scary numbers. How is the flu season affecting the Kansas City region? Rachel Hailey: It's crazy. This season is just off with a bang. We're seeing dramatic spikes of the flu on both sides of the state line. In fact, HCA recorded 50% more flu and flu-like illnesses and diagnoses in September of this past year compared to December of 2018. Our nine Care Now urgent care clinics have seen more than 1200 cases of the flu since December 1st, and that doesn't include people coming in through our hospitals' 11 ERs in the regions. Nationwide, last Friday, the CDC's weekly influenza surveillance report was released and it had updated stats for the flu season, and it's estimated that so far almost 10 million people have gotten the flu this season, and 90,000 people have been hospitalized, and 5,000 adult deaths, and that doesn't even include the almost 40 pediatric deaths we've also had. Jamie M.: I think we need to remind people that the flu can be deadly. Rachel Hailey: It can. People think it's benign, but it can result in death, and that's even in healthy people. We've got deaths on both the Missouri and Kansas side, kids and adults alike. Jamie M.: Is it too late to get the flu shot? And if not, who should be getting it? Rachel Hailey: Absolutely not. A flu shot for everyone in the family will greatly reduce the risk of getting the flu or lessen the impact if you do get it. We recommend children six months of age and older, and especially those in high risk groups, including adults over the age of 65, pregnant women, and people with certain chronic medical health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and asthma get the shot. Jamie M.: What are some flu symptoms that people should be watching out for? And when do those get to the point that you should call your doctor or even go to the ER? Rachel Hailey: Great question. Some of the more common symptoms include feeling like you've been hit by a Mack truck. I mean extreme body aches and fatigue. You can have a hundred degree or higher fever or feeling feverish, but remember, not everyone with the flu has a fever, cough, and/or sore throat, runny, stuffy nose, headaches and those body aches I mentioned, chills, and fatigue. Those are the big ones, and I just say err on the side of caution. If you feel bad, go get checked out. Jamie M.: Let's talk about prevention. We've talked about the flu shot, but what else can people do to stay healthy and stave off the flu? Rachel Hailey: I can't preach this enough. This is my favorite question, and this is just sanitize everything. Your hands, surfaces, door knobs, cell phones, other electronic devices, grocery cart handles, places where the flu and respiratory virus can sometimes live up to three days, and let common sense prevail. People are gross when they're sick, they just go everywhere. They go to church, they go to school, they go shopping, they go to the gym, but if you're going to be out in public, cover your cough. Cover your cough at home. I think kids are better at this than adults are sometimes. Wash your hands frequently. That's even better than sanitizing, and I think the most important thing is stay at home. If you're sick, you stay home. If your kids are sick, keep them home. We need to stay at home until we're fever free 24 hours without medication. If you don't have a fever, then it's at least four to five days after your symptoms started before you can safely go back. Jamie M.: I think consumers really appreciate having healthcare options that are really easy for them to get to regardless of how old they are or how sick they are or what their injury is. HCA is introducing Care Navigator. That's a tool that helps busy moms or working men or anybody else who might be juggling travel or the stresses of life. Tell us more about it. Rachel Hailey: This is an incredible new addition to our already extensive healthcare network, and the Care Navigator, it's been invaluable already during this cold and flu season, and it's not just for the busy mom or the person who's traveling. I mean college students are using this. This has been a great tool for people to better understand their health condition and know where and when to seek treatment when they or a loved one are sick. Jamie M.: Okay, so walk me through it. If a consumer is going to use the Care Navigator, what can they expect? Rachel Hailey: So it's accessed in the convenience of your home, work, or wherever you may be online. The Care Navigator asks you detailed questions about your health conditions and symptoms and it guides you to the appropriate level of care, whether it's making an appointment with a physician, going to an urgent care, even going directly to an ER, or scheduling a convenient 24/7 online virtual visit appointment with a provider. Some of the most common non-urgent conditions that our virtual physicians and providers are treating include allergies, minor burns, colds and flu, cough, sore throat, sinus issues, bladder infections, rashes, and other skin conditions. We even treat pink eye. Using a video connection, preferably in a quiet and confidential space, the provider is able to see and examine a patient, ask about their symptoms and conditions. They can give medical advice and even prescribe a prescription. Jamie M.: Is there anything that generally wouldn't be good for something like this? Rachel Hailey: You know, yeah. If you're really sick, you're in a severe pain, you're not really sure what's going on, those are certainly things that we don't want to delay care, but this is a very quick and easy and accessible navigation tool that will ask those questions in the beginning, and if you don't match up what they think they can help you with, then they will say where you should go get care next. Jamie M.: This has been Med Talk presented by HCA Midwest Health. I'm Jamie Monticelli.