Flu-like virus making Utahns sick for long periods of time

Sarah Dallof and Tonya Papanikolas reporting Two viruses that can take you out for weeks are going around. The first is a flu-like illness. The second is the chicken pox.

The first strong bug is leaving people sick for sometimes one or two weeks. Doctors say though it looks a lot like the flu; it's actually a virus.

The symptoms are different from the flu, and it's lasting a lot longer than a normal virus. Plus, doctors are seeing an unusually high number of cases. It's hard to say what causes it, but because of the cold weather, more people are in confined spaces indoors, making it easier to spread.

Jeff Allred is a multimedia specialist for Intermountain Healthcare. In 12 years, he's never been sick more than two days, until recently. "I ended up with five days of cough, fevers, chills, delusions," he explained.

So, he stayed home from work, thinking he'd get better quickly. "About day three, when you normally start saying, ‘I'm going to feel better,' the fevers got higher. It got hotter, I sweat more, I started having the most bizarre thoughts," Allred said.

Doctors say they've seen a lot of cases recently of this viral infection that looks a lot like the flu. "I'm certainly seeing this at least every day for the past two weeks," said Dr. James Peterson, of Foothill Family Clinic. "It begins with a sore throat, high fevers, continues with congestion, productive cough; and the trouble is, it's lingering for 10 days or more."

At Foothill Family Clinic, not only are the patients coming in with the virus, but staff members are calling in sick too. "Yesterday, we were stuck without any abilities to take X-rays because all of our X-ray techs were sick," Peterson said.

That included Rebecca Brooks. "Basically, I've had a lot of bad sore throat," she said. "Just fever and chills and everything."

She's also lost her voice.

Allred got bronchitis from his infection and had a friend who developed whooping cough. Doctors say with the virus lasting so long, many people are getting additional infections. "On top of the virus, [they're] coming in with ear infections or pneumonia," Peterson said.

Once you get it, there's not much you can do except get a lot of rest. But doctors say the virus can overlap with strep throat or the regular flu, so if you don't get better in a week or think you may have additional infections, it's best to see your doctor.

In Ogden, health care providers are seeing much of the same, but chicken pox as well.

Lori Buttars of the Weber-Morgan Health Department describes it as, "A painful, itchy rash. Fever, lethargy."

The majority of the cases of chicken pox are originating at Hillcrest Elementary. Since kids are required to be vaccinated before they can go to school, health officials have one request. "We're asking people to get boosters," Buttars said.

To try to avoid illness, obviously wash your hands and stay away from sick people. If you get sick, just lie low, get rest, and drink fluids.

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