KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — With flu season almost here, Knox County is already seeing signs of a slight increase in influenza-like cases in some areas.
"Our clinics in Knoxville are seeing seeing a bit of an uptick in flu it seems like we have been seeing flu type B more regularly," said Rachel Davis, Director of Marketing for American Family Care Urgent Care. "We're seeing about 2 to 3 positives a week but we're doing about 3 to 4 tests a day."
There are seven AFC Urgent Care clinics in the East Tennessee area.
Kelsey Leyrer, Knox County's Health Department Communications Specialist, said healthcare providers across the state volunteer to report public health cases of influenza-like illness that each diagnoses.
According to statistics from the Tennessee Department of Health, Knox County was 4.9 percent above the state's average from Sept. 15 to Sept. 21. Knox County's statistics reflected only a 3.3 percent increase in comparison to the state this same week last year.
However, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tennessee as a whole is encountering sporadic cases.
"It's mostly been sporadic, between the three facilities there's a couple of cases everyday," said Dr. Michael Rothwell, physician at Knoxville's Well-Key Urgent Care. "It's just important for patients to remember to get their flu shots."
CDC has reported this year's flu vaccine is 60 percent effective this upcoming flu season.
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