Flu patients seek treatment in urgent care clinics
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Flue cases on the rise in Collier County Video by fox4now.com
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NAPLES, Fla.- Patients pack urgent care clinics in Collier County. Some people complain about flu symptoms.
Seeing a doctor wasn't part of Sandy Gerber's vacation plans. He is visiting from Ohio and he's congested, but doesn't have a fever.
"Everyday I was going to the beach and finally I said I need to go see a doctor," said Gerber.
Patients like Sandy keep doctors busy at urgent care clinics throughout Collier County. They have seen plenty of respiratory infections starting around Thanksgiving and even more cases in the past 2 weeks.
"Last year no peak season. We didn't really have a flu season last year. It started earlier this year and saw some in November and quite a bit more at the end of December and into January," said Dr. Richard Abood, Collier Urgent Care.
Physicians like Dr. Rosenfield of ER QuickCare in Naples says he's seeing patients who got a flu shot but are still catching the illness. Sandy got a shot, but he is still sick.
"I had the flu shot and it hasn't seemed to reject what's going around so something else other than what the flu shot addressed," said Gerber.
Dr. Jeff Rosenfield recommends people still get the shot because if you do catch the illness it tends to be less severe.
"At what point should they come and see you?"
"Well, the flu medicine only works well if you start within 2 days of the symptoms so if you think you have the flu, you need to get tested within 2 days to go on antiviral medicine," said Dr. Jeff Rosenfield, ER QuickCare.
In Collier, the Health Department has vaccine by appointment (adults: 252-8207 and children: 252-8595).
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