Orange Family Medical Group is committed to following CDC guidelines for influenza management.  For influenza and other flu-like illnesses, Orange Family Medical Group has the following goals:

• to help our patients
• to protect the public in general by limiting the spread of disease.

If you are concerned that you or a family member may have influenza, please read the following carefully.  In most cases it is appropriate for such patients to remain at home except to receive medical care when necessary. This is to control the spread of infection, by recommendation of the CDC and the NC Division of Public Health.  Most patients with flu get better within several days and a visit to the doctor is not required.

However, you should call your doctor or seek medical attention if you have symptoms of severe illness (see below). 

You should also call your doctor or seek medical attention if you have asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or other chronic conditions, or if you are pregnant, over the age of 65 years, or if the sick person is under the age of 5 years.  Patients in these groups have a higher risk of developing complications (more severe illness) from influenza.

Q: What are the symptoms?     A:  An influenza-like illness (ILI) is defined as any illness with 1) a fever of 100 F or higher and 2) recent onset of a cough or sore throat, without confirmed diagnosis.   Body aches and/or headache are common. Sometimes patients with flu also have diarrhea or vomiting. Again, it is expected that most people with influenza or ILI will recover without requiring medical care. 

Q: What do I do if I have these symptoms?     A: If you have symptoms matching the description of ILI and you are not severely ill, stay at home until at least 24 hours after fever is gone.  Fever should be gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine.  You should follow the "Home Respiratory Isolation" recommendations made by the state health department for persons suspected of having H1N1 flu.  Click here to read the recommendations in English.  [?Habla espanol? Por favor click aqui.]   Further information is available here.

Q: When should I call the doctor or go to the doctor?     A: Call your doctor's office or seek medical care if you have severe illness,  OR if you are at high risk for flu complications.  Symptoms of severe illness include: 

• trouble breathing, including shortness of breath or fast breathing
• bluish skin color
• pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• sudden dizziness
• confusion or irritability
• flu-like symptoms that improve, but then return later with fever & worse cough
• inability to drink fluids or refusal to drink fluids
• severe or persistent vomiting
• a child who is so irritable that she/he does not want to be held
• a child who will not wake up or is not interacting

      People who are at high risk for flu complications include:

• Children younger than 5 years old, but especially those under 2 years old.
• Adults 65 years old or older.
• Pregnant women
• People with asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis or other chronic lung problem
• People with heart diseases, such as congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease or congenital heart disease
• People with blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)
• People with diabetes
• People with weakened immune systems due to HIV/AIDS or cancer or chronic steroid treatment
• People who are morbidly obese
• People under 19 years old who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy

Follow this link to other flu-related information.