Community Corner

Woodbury Doctor: Flu Arrives Early This Year

Anthony Nardi, a doctor at Woodwinds Health Campus, talks about the flu and how to prevent and treat it.

Flu season has started early in Woodbury.

Still, that doesn’t mean more people are going to catch it or that the flu bug this year will be particularly virulent, according to Anthony Nardi, MD, physician services medical director with HealthEast.

“It’s too early to tell whether it’s going to be bad,” he said.

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The flu season generally runs from December through March, but Woodwinds Health Campus has already seen several cases this year, Nardi said.

And when it comes to getting a flu shot: “I strongly recommend everyone get it,” he said, especially the elderly, young people and pregnant women.

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The Minnesota Department of Health reports that for this 2012-2013 season, 30 people have been hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed influenza. According to this week's Centers for Disease Control flu activity report, influenza levels are on the rise across the country. 

Good hand washing is the No. 1 thing people can do to prevent the flu, Nardi said. And for those who get it, rest, drinking plenty of fluids and taking ibuprofen or Tylenol is the best treatment. The flu can last more than 72 hours in some cases, he said.

Nardi does not recommend people come into the ER.

“There’s really not much we can do for them,” he said, adding that going to the hospital also brings with it the chance to make others ill.

Flu Shots

People can get flu shots at the following locations in Woodbury:

  • CVS Pharmacy
  • Walgreens
  • Target Pharmacy
CDC Info

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers the following information:

 

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