The flu is nearing epidemic levels in Southern California, where a surge in trips to hospital emergency rooms has reached a historic high in the Inland region, straining ambulance services and increasing ER wait times, medical experts said Thursday, Jan. 4.

Riverside and San Bernardino counties haven’t faced such a severe level of influenza this early in the flu season in 15 years, but it isn’t yet being called epidemic, said Riverside County Director of Disease Control Barbara Cole.

“We are approaching that level,” Cole said at a press conference outside Riverside City Hall on Thursday.

Public health officials urged people to quickly get flu vaccines before the season kicks into high gear, which typically happens from mid-January through early February. Vaccines need two weeks to build up a person’s immunity against a disease.

They also encouraged people to avoid going to the emergency room or calling for an ambulance unless they’re facing a life-threatening medical emergency, such as chest pains or breathing problems, after developing a serious complication from the flu like pneumonia.

Most cases straining emergency medical services are non-life-threatening, “uncomplicated” flu requiring only rest, lots of fluids and a pain reliever like Tylenol to recover, said Dr. Steven Kim, medical director of the emergency department at Riverside Community Hospital.

“These patients could truly stay home,” he said.

The elderly and very young, pregnant women, and people with chronic illness or weakened immune systems are most at risk of developing serious complications from the flu.

This year’s dominant strain, Influenza A, can bring symptoms including fever, body aches, fatigue, headaches, coughs, a runny nose and sore throat.

In the 2017/2018 flu season starting in October, one person – a child under age 10 – died in Riverside County, and no one has died in San Bernardino County. There have been 19 Intensive Care Unit cases involving flu in Riverside County since October.

From Dec. 24 through Dec. 30, clinics, doctors’ offices and ERs all reported above-normal numbers of flu cases to Riverside County public health officials, Cole said.

Riverside County had 1,836 ER visits due to flu-like illness from Dec. 17 to Dec. 23 and 3,445 from Dec. 24 to Dec. 30.

That week there were 3,415 emergency ambulance transports in Riverside County – a 31 percent increase from the weekly average of 2,604. That’s been accompanied by a significant rise in wait times to unload ambulances and for ER visits.

On Jan. 4, Kaiser Permanente issued a pre-recorded robocall telling members that wait times for urgent care and ER visits may be much longer than normal and dispensing home treatment advice for colds and the flu.

Kaiser Permanente also isn’t allowing visitors under 14 at Fontana or Ontario medical centers through March 31 to help reduce the spread of flu in San Bernardino County, which Kaiser said has been especially hard hit by flu.

The situation may be worsened because people on Medi-Cal and Medicare in California can go to an emergency room without paying a copay or fee of $50 or more that they’d pay for urgent care, and they don’t have to pay for an ambulance trip to the ER, said Riverside Councilman Mike Soubirous.

While the number of ambulance transports has reached a historic high across the board in the Inland area, no one has apparently died due to wait times or tied-up ambulances, said Doug Key, general manager for Riverside County AMR.

American Medical Response has brought in resources from other areas to prevent adverse impacts, he said.

Flu can last up to two weeks. Vaccines are the best way to prevent the illness and reduce the severity and duration if you do get sick, and free flu shots are available at Riverside University Health System’s community clinics, said Dr. Geoffrey Leung, medical director for the clinics.

San Bernardino County clinics also offer flu shots.

One reason to get a flu shot is to “cocoon” or protect people at higher risk of complications from flu — especially infants under six months who can’t get the shots.

During this flu season, Leung advises even people who aren’t sick to get lots of rest.

“The flu season is just starting,” he said.

2017/2018 FLU SEASON

Emergency room visits due to flu-like illness:

Riverside County: 1,836 Dec. 17-23; 3,445 Dec. 24-30.

San Bernardino County: Not available

Intensive Care Unit visits due to flu-like illness

Riverside County: 19

San Bernardino County: Not available

Flu deaths

Riverside County: 1

San Bernardino County: 0

Emergency ambulance transports, Dec. 24-31

Riverside County: 3,415, a 31 percent increase from the weekly average of 2,604.

San Bernardino County: 3,711, a 23 percent increase over the average of 2,800.

Average Weekly Percentage of flu-like illness in ERs:

Riverside County: 3.1 percent Dec. 17-23; 6.8 percent Dec. 24-30.

San Bernardino County: 6.61 percent Dec. 14-20.

SOURCES: Riverside and San Bernardino county public health departments, American Medical Response.