Health officials are urging residents to wash their hands, sanitize and take other precautions to avoid infection following the flu-related death Wednesday of a young Columbus boy.

The 3-year-old was the first pediatric death in the city connected to influenza this season and the third in a decade.

"People should use this as a wake-up call," said Dr. Mysheika Roberts, Columbus health commissioner. "If they haven’t been vaccinated, they need to be vaccinated. And they need to take their symptoms seriously."

Statewide, four young people have died and more than 3,800 people overall have been hospitalized since October, with new cases on the upswing in recent weeks, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

"Our numbers over the last few weeks have been going up," said Kelli Newman Myers, spokeswoman for Columbus Public Health. "Sometimes, it will peak earlier in the season, but (this year), it’s late. It’s definitely starting to increase."

The numbers are well below the nearly 13,000 flu-related hospitalizations last season, officials say, due to a later peak and a flu vaccine better suited to this season's strain.

Flu symptoms include coughing, fever, sore throat, chills and fatigue. Children, the elderly and those with underlying health conditions are particularly susceptible to infection.

"Whenever you feel like your child is not responding to the supportive care you’re providing them at home and their behavior or their symptoms are outside of … what’s normal for you and your child, then you should take them to see a health-care provider immediately," Roberts said.

Health officials are recommending anyone older than 6 months get a flu vaccination if they haven’t already done so. That’s in addition to covering mouths when coughing, staying home when sick and regularly washing hands.

Flu shots aren’t a guarantee against infection, but they can help alleviate symptoms. Roberts said there also are a couple of anti-viral treatments on the market that, when taken as prescribed, can help lessen the length of the illness.

"The flu is very unpredictable," she said. "That’s why we encourage people to get flu shots every year."

mkovac@dispatch.com

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