Flu Numbers Continue to Rise
January 18, 2013-Seventeen additional cases of influenza have been identified and reported to the Erie County Health Department as of this morning. That makes 547 confirmed cases in the running total for Erie County this flu season.
That is 17 more cases than yesterday.
In terms of statistics, the numbers are still rising, and doctor's offices are still busy, but not all cases of the flu are verified by a laboratory test.
To analyze the test, and verify whether or not the virus is present in your sample, Associated Clinical Labs says the out of pocket charge is $92.40.
Some doctors and many patients are reluctant to test for flu if the other indicators are present, saving the outlay of money to test for the obvious.
At any rate, information provided by the Erie County Health Department says the number of flu cases continues to rise, but more people have the flu than the numbers indicate.
