LITTLE ROCK, Ark — Dr. Robert Hopkins with UAMS says the numbers are light at this point. There hasn't been a whole lot of influenza detected in Arkansas yet.
There's been about 350 positive cases since the end of September.
"Generally, we expect to see flu in Arkansas sometime around the end of the calendar year, out as late as February. So the fact that we haven't seen much yet is not unexpected, but it could hit us anytime," said Hopkins.
It's just a little unpredictable.
"Generally in Arkansas, expect to see an uptick in flu about two weeks after we see it in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, a part of Houston, and Atlanta, because that's where a lot of our air travel comes from," said Hopkins. "So we have, at Georgia, started to see a slight increase. And so I wouldn't be surprised if we don't start to see the same thing."
Dr. Hopkins says he typically starts looking for an uptick in flu symptoms two to three weeks after Thanksgiving, which is now.
Last year was an anomaly in a lot of different ways because of the pandemic, but that doesn't mean that's the case now.
"Like, we're seeing an increase in COVID cases right now. I wouldn't be at all surprised if we don't start seeing an increase in flu cases," said Hopkins.
Joel Tumlinson with the Arkansas Department of Health says a typical flu season had as many cases as in 2019, before the pandemic.
"It doesn't look like we're going to have the no flu season and everybody's happy like we had last year. It seems like we're going to have more significant cases of flu this season," said Tumlison.
After the holidays, he suggests people stay home if they're sick, and above all, get vaccinated.
"It's not too late to get your flu vaccine, so if you haven't gone and got it? Go get it," said Tumlison.