What to do if the flu gets you

If there’s one good thing we can say about the COVID-19 pandemic, it's that COVID preventive measures led to very low numbers of influenza (flu) cases during the 2020-21 flu season. In fact, there were only 848 cases of the flu in San Diego County throughout the entire season, whereas the average number of flu cases before the pandemic was more than 11,000 per season.

However, people have returned to pre-pandemic activities — travel, dining out, gatherings, and in-person work and school — with gusto. Additionally, influenza vaccination rates are lower than they were in years prior. As a result, flu activity across the country has proven to be both higher and earlier in the season.

So, what should you do if the flu gets you? According to Dr. Jyotu Sandhu, a family medicine doctor with Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group, the better question to ask is about how you can best protect yourself from the flu before that happens.

Why vaccination is vital

“We recommend that everybody age 6 months and older gets their flu shot,” Dr. Sandhu says. “It’s definitely not too late to receive the influenza vaccine. With the flu season underway, and typically getting worse around January and February, now is the time.”

Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you take other general preventive steps to avoid flu infection, such as:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects.

What to do if you get the flu

Because some people will choose to forgo vaccination and others may experience mild breakthrough cases of the flu, Dr. Sandhu offers recommendations about what to do if you think you may have the flu.

If you experience flu-like symptoms — including fever, chills, headache, sore throat, congestion, body aches and fatigue — he recommends you:

• Isolate yourself from others.

• Rest.

• Maintain good nutrition and hydration.

• Monitor your temperature for fever.

• Take over-the-counter fever- and pain-relief medication as needed.

“You should also seek medical advice,” he says. “Contact your doctor and get tested for both flu and COVID-19, as both can exhibit similar symptoms. Antiviral treatments for flu, which may be prescribed, are effective if taken within 48 hours of symptom onset.”

Additionally, at-home testing for the flu is now available. In late 2024, a new combination COVID-19, flu A and flu B at-home test was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is available for purchase at retail pharmacies and stores nationwide. Just like the at-home COVID test, the combo COVID-flu test requires a simple nasal swab and can give you results in 15 minutes.

If you test positive for the flu, the CDC recommends you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone — except to get medical care or other necessities. However, your fever is only considered truly gone if it goes down without the use of fever-reducing medication.

Monitor your symptoms and seek care if you are at risk of serious illness. People at higher risk include pregnant people, people with chronic illnesses, young children, and people age 65 and older. Seek immediate care for the following severe symptoms:

• Fast or troubled breathing

• Bluish or gray skin color

• Not able to maintain hydration (unable to keep liquids down)

• Severe or repeated vomiting

• Severe muscle pain or weakness

• Seizures

• Persistent pressure or pain in the upper abdomen or chest

• Not urinating

• A fever higher than 104º F (or any fever in children younger than 12 weeks)

Learn more about flu care, where to seek care and COVID-19 vaccines.