WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. -- If it feels like everyone around you is getting sick, you're not imagining it. A recent report from Maryland's Department of Health cites a sharp rise in flu activity and hospitalizations.
Locally, health experts and doctors are seeing a similar trend.
"Happy New Year, they look bad," said Dr. Christopher Snyder, Chief Quality Officer at TidalHealth.
Snyder, in a bit of a tongue-in-cheek way, was addressing the fact that TidalHealth is seeing a fairly significant rush of flu cases. However, Dr. Snyder acknowledged that for this time of year, that's not all that uncommon.
"We're more enclosed right now, nobody's outside, usual stuff," said Dr. Snyder. "We're sharing things, our kids are all back in school, so there's a lot of reasons why exposures are higher this time of year."
According to Maryland's Department of Health, since September 2025, seven people have died from the flu, while more than 1,940 people have gone to the hospital.
MDH reports that overall respiratory illness activity in Maryland is high and that respiratory virus-associated hospitalizations are now exceeding 10 per every 100,000 residents. That has triggered MDH to recommend that health care facilities implement a masking policy for staff and patients.
Last year, more than 8,000 people across Maryland were hospitalized due to the flu. A surge in cases began in early January and peaked in February.
This cold and flu season, cases began rising after Thanksgiving and have surged more rapidly compared to last year.
"Some of it may have to do with vaccination rates," said Olivia Butler, Director of Nursing with the Wicomico County Health Department. "People not getting their flu vaccine or not getting it early enough in the season."
Butler walked us through Maryland's Influenza Dashboard on Tuesday. It highlights virus activity levels, reported outbreaks, hospitalizations, deaths and even vaccination rates.
The dashboard shows that on the Lower Shore, between 18% and 25% of people got their flu shot this season. Health experts say that the vaccine is your best bet if you want to avoid getting sick or having a severe reaction.
"The vaccine will sometimes make it so that you're not as sick as if you did not have the vaccine at all," said Butler. "So, I think that probably plays a factor in the severity and the increase that we're seeing."
Good hygiene can also go a long way. Washing your hands regularly, masking up in high-risk areas like hospitals and health departments, and staying home when you're sick can all help prevent the spread of influenza.
It's also worth noting that even if you've already had the flu, health experts still encourage you to get your flu shot. It can protect against multiple strains and, again, can reduce the severity of your reaction to the virus.