Oct 26, 2026 · 9 min · 9 segments
On this *West Virginia Morning*, stories about cryptids are revived every October in the lead-up to Halloween. Oftentimes, these monsters are said to live in the woods – or some other dark area where…
Teresa WillsHost
Roberto Roldan
Maria Young
As Maria Young reports, the early start to flu season could mean a hard winter ahead.
Nationwide, the number of influenza cases is still low, but on the rise.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a higher rate of flu hospitalizations than we've seen at this point in the season in more than a decade.
An increasing number of patients have shown up at area hospitals and clinics, including Parkersburg-based UPMC Go Health.
What we're seeing is a rise in some key indicators of flu, where people are coming in with fever, chills, cough, congestion, things like that.
And usually when that starts, it can ramp up pretty quickly.
It ramps up when kids are back in school in close proximity to each other.
and cooler temperatures drive everyone inside, where the air is drier and the virus can thrive.
Flu symptoms are different, Mears said, from the common cold, though both can involve a cough, runny nose, and sinus issues.
The defining factors in my eyes for the flu are fever and body aches.
Those are usually, most of the time, pretty significant, more so than you would see with a common cold.
The trick, if you want to call it that, is to seek treatment quickly once flu symptoms begin.
Unlike a lot of viruses where the treatment is supportive care, the flu virus actually has medication that can be prescribed that can reduce the duration and severity of the illness and also make you less likely to spread it.
That medicine has to be started within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.
For most of us, as miserable as the flu can be, the symptoms begin to fade in five to seven days.
But for older people and babies, as well as those with other health issues, the flu can be dangerous and sometimes fatal.
Mayer said there are clear indicators when you need to seek immediate treatment.
You could be developing a secondary pneumonia, bronchitis, things like that.
A flu shot takes effect roughly two weeks after it's given and typically protects patients for six months.
As Maria Young reports, the early start to flu season could mean a hard winter ahead.
Nationwide, the number of influenza cases is still low, but on the rise.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a higher rate of flu hospitalizations than we've seen at this point in the season in more than a decade.
An increasing number of patients have shown up at area hospitals and clinics, including Parkersburg-based UPMC Go Health.
What we're seeing is a rise in some key indicators of flu, where people are coming in with fever, chills, cough, congestion, things like that.
And usually when that starts, it can ramp up pretty quickly.
It ramps up when kids are back in school in close proximity to each other.
and cooler temperatures drive everyone inside, where the air is drier and the virus can thrive.
Flu symptoms are different, Mears said, from the common cold, though both can involve a cough, runny nose, and sinus issues.
The defining factors in my eyes for the flu are fever and body aches.
Those are usually, most of the time, pretty significant, more so than you would see with a common cold.
The trick, if you want to call it that, is to seek treatment quickly once flu symptoms begin.
Unlike a lot of viruses where the treatment is supportive care, the flu virus actually has medication that can be prescribed that can reduce the duration and severity of the illness and also make you less likely to spread it.
That medicine has to be started within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.
For most of us, as miserable as the flu can be, the symptoms begin to fade in five to seven days.
But for older people and babies, as well as those with other health issues, the flu can be dangerous and sometimes fatal.
Mayer said there are clear indicators when you need to seek immediate treatment.
You could be developing a secondary pneumonia, bronchitis, things like that.
A flu shot takes effect roughly two weeks after it's given and typically protects patients for six months.
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