Research Key To Getting Help Dealing With The Flu, THD Says

As of Friday, this strain of the flu has killed 74 people in Oklahoma, and, in Tulsa County alone, 481 people have been hospitalized.

Muskogee Public Schools said 58-year-old Indian Education Counselor Susan Roberts died from the flu just over a week ago.

Sand Springs mother Dawn Rogers said it hit her 16-year-old son Garrett like a ton of bricks.

"He starts getting pale and he’s real quiet, so I knew then he probably had the flu," she said.

When parents hear the statistics on how bad the flu has been, there is always going to be a concern.

"You hear it and can't help but think, and so you go to sleep and then wake up and start treating him like he is an infant - checking every hour on the hour, ‘Are you okay? Are you breathing,’” Rogers said.

At that point, many people are rushing to the hospital or urgent care, but the Tulsa County Health Department said that is only necessary in certain cases.

1/29/2017 Related Story:  Parents Worry About Aggressive Flu Season 

“In most cases, for healthy adults, the flu, although serious, is self-limiting. People will be feeling badly for about a week or so," Ellen Niemitalo said.

But, here are the signs you might need to make that trip to the hospital:

• If you have difficulty breathing.
• A change in consciousness.
• If your fever won't go away regardless of what over-the-counter medicines you're taking.

Rogers said her son never got to that point, but she called her doctor right away.

“It's not anything to play with, but we followed the advice of the nurse practitioner that saw him and got him on fluids and fruits and vegetables,” she said.

They also immediately called in a prescription for Tamiflu.

“There are anti-virals, which will lessen the severity and duration of the flu if it is taken in the first 48 hours of illness," Niemitalo said.

Also, it’s not too late to get a flu shot.

Even if you get the flu, experts say it will at least lessen the severity of the virus for you.