PROVIDENCE – Widespread flu has hit Rhode Island, according to the R.I. Department of Health.
With the “widespread” designation – the highest in the five-tier system of flu activity – unvaccinated health care workers are required to wear masks during contact with patients.
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Rhode Island joins many other states throughout the country, including Massachusetts and Connecticut, that are also experiencing widespread flu.
State residents suffering from flu without severe symptoms are advised to seek treatment from a primary care provider or in an urgent care facility rather than an emergency department. Severe symptoms of flu, such as difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest, and symptoms that improve but then return with a fever and worse cough, should be treated in an emergency department.
Flu vaccinations are encouraged for everyone older than 6 months, and are particularly important for pregnant women, young children, people over 50, nursing or group home residents, and people with chronic conditions. Flu shots are available at doctors’ offices and pharmacies statewide.
