Medical centre waiting rooms are full and cough lozenges are walking off the shelves as the number of people in Wagga presenting with influenza-like symptoms increases.

Greater Southern Area Health director of public health unit, Tracey Oakman, said the number of common cold cases last month had grown.

“According to the data surveillance there has been an increase in July,” Ms Oakman said.

“We also expect to see more cases in the next couple of weeks.”

Despite Ms Oakman saying the flu season in Wagga is not as bad as last year, both KRS and Glenrock medical centres reported seeing a high number of patients with signs of a viral infection.

“We are fully booked and nurses have had to triage some patients,” Glenrock medical receptionist Megan Eccleston said.

“Most appointments are taken every day and some times we have had to double book.”

Taking precautionary measures and receiving an influenza shot at the start of the season has also not protected many people from contracting a viral infection.

Ms Oakman said each year the flu shot protects against two strains of a type A virus and one type B virus.

However, she said the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is more common than the flu, but a vaccine for it has not yet been found.

“People might think they have the flu but they actually will have another virus,” Ms Oakman said.

“RSV is similar to the flu but, in fact, is different to the flu.

“It is also more predominant than the flu in the

surveillance testing.”

Although several Wagga businesses have felt the effects of the flu season with employees calling in sick, Ms Oakman said rest and staying at home is the best way to cure a virus infection and stop its spread.

“It is important to stay at home ... don’t cough and sneeze over everything and use a tissue when you do cough or sneeze. It is also important to wash your hands so that you don’t transmit millions of virus droplets through hand contact,” she said.