A flu patient coughs into a tissue. | News4Jax
Published on January 6, 2026 at 11:46 am
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An emergency room doctor at UF Health says the hospital saw a surge in patients over the Christmas holiday as a severe flu season and common colds drove higher volumes, especially among children.
She also warned people not to take this rendition of flu season lightly, especially in Northeast Florida, where nearly every county has experienced an outbreak in what’s being called the “super flu.”
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The disease has been dubbed the “super flu” because it’s a mutated strain of influenza that spreads more aggressively. Symptoms are no different from those of a regular flu, except that super flu symptoms are more severe, especially in people who have not received a flu shot.
According to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, so far this season, there were 7.5 million flu illnesses in the U.S., and 81,000 of those people have been hospitalized.
“We’re seeing an increase in patient volumes. Our staffing has increased as well because it is flu season along with common colds,” Dr. Sonya Rashid said. “A lot of pediatric patients are also testing positive for flu.”
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Rashid, an emergency physician, said this season has brought more severe cases among children, who can be predisposed to developing pneumonia when fever and coughing persist.
While the flu shot does not prevent you from catching the flu, Dr. Erich Schramm of the Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research talked about the super flu’s effects.
“The current super flu is the H3N2 strain. That was unexpected, but when they make these vaccines, they must think six months in advance,” Schramm said.
This means the flu shot for this season was created before the virus mutated to the current strain known as the super flu.
Rashid described working the night shift on Christmas as “very difficult,” saying the emergency room was busier than she expected with “no quiet times” and many people seeking care for flu symptoms.
On vaccines, Rashid said it can be difficult to measure how effective seasonal flu shots will be because vaccines are often made for strains that were predominant when they were produced and the influenza virus is constantly changing.
“The flu is an ever-changing virus that changes constantly,” she said.
Still, she urged vaccination because it can make symptoms milder.
“Getting vaccinated does help your chances a lot if you get the flu because your symptoms will be milder,” Rashid said. “It may not 100% prevent you from getting the flu, but I think it helps to diminish some of the symptoms you may have if you get the flu.”
Rashid also stressed basic precautions such as wearing masks and frequent handwashing, noting that influenza spreads through droplets rather than being airborne like COVID-19.
“Actually wearing a mask [is] effective along with washing your hands because of the way you get the flu,” she said.
On treatment, Rashid said antiviral drugs such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) are available but carry side effects, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and in some cases reactions such as nightmares.
For that reason, she said, many physicians reserve antivirals for severe cases that could threaten a patient’s life.
This story was produced by News4Jax, a Jacksonville Today news partner.
