The number of reported flu cases in Lackawanna County has more than doubled from when figures were tallied on Jan. 5 to the latest count.
As of Jan. 12, there were 160 reported cases of the flu in Lackawanna County - 89 more, or a 125 percent increase from the 71 reported a week before, according to the state Department of Health.
Statewide, the number of confirmed flu cases jumped 45 percent, from 11,327 cases on Jan. 5 to 16,511 on Jan. 12, officials said.
The total number of cases from other counties include: Luzerne, 625; Monroe, 134; Wyoming, 44; Susquehanna, 36; Wayne, 28; and Pike, 27. A new report is due out Tuesday.
And with all that, purchases of cold-medicines and anti-viral drugs, such as Tamiflu, have spiked, a local pharmacist said.
"Every day, it's more and more people who come in looking for something to combat the symptoms," said Vince Douaihy, a pharmacist at the CVS on Green Ridge Street in Scranton. "We restock our supplies often, or else we would be running low."
There has been one lab-positive flu-related death in Wilkes-Barre, and 40 statewide, according to the state Department of Health.
"We believe there are a lot more cases than the ones confirmed, and the flu season isn't even at its peak yet," said Kait Gillis, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health. "We've seen this strain (H3N2) before, but not to this level."
"The best protection is a flu shot," she said.
While thousands of Pennsylvanians have received a flu shot, there is still a significant portion of the population who have opted to take their chances without doing so, Ms. Gillis said.
Then, when they get the flu, she said, people resort to cold-medicines and anti-viral drugs to combat the symptoms and accelerate the process.
But in most occasions, it's already too late, Mr. Douaihy, said.
"Unless you catch it at the right time, anti-viral drugs won't help," he said. "Plus, cold medications only help with the symptoms. They don't affect how long someone has the flu."
Still, that hasn't prevented people from raiding the medicine aisles at local pharmacies, or arriving at drug stores with prescriptions for anti-viral drugs.
"It's like Christmas time for the pharmacies, because so many people are coming to purchase cold-medication," said Bruce Parola, a pharmacist at Walgreens on Green Ridge Street. "We re-stock our shelves twice a week, so we haven't had a limited supply problem. But the demand is absolutely high."
The owner of Leonard's Pharmacy in Scranton, Theresa DeFrancesco also points to an uptick in the purchases of cold medication.
She said she has seen people come to the drug store and complain about headaches and vomiting.
"The best thing we can do is offer cold medication, but that won't solve all their problems," she said. "No cold medication will make the flu go away."
Contact the writer: miorfino@timesshamrock.com, @miorfinoTT on Twitter