Doctors' offices are full, and there are empty seats in classrooms, as residents across the county suffer from a souped up round of the coughs and flu.

The Newberry County Health Department is receiving numerous calls about the flu and state it is widespread in the county.

Newberry County Memorial Hospital has seen a more than 50 percent increase in patients with respiratory infections, according to hospital spokesperson Andy Hawkins.

Hawkins adds that with many people in the hospital with the flu, the hospital is requesting visitors not bring young children into the hospital to visit.

Schools such as Pomaria-Garmany Elementary, Prosperity-Rikard Elementary, Boundary Street Elementary and Newberry Middle have had between 10 to 12 percent of the students absent.

These students are experiencing the flu, strep throat and an intestinal bug, according to district spokesman Hugh Gray.

Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is reaching epidemic levels in Newberry.

RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia among infants and children under one year of age.

Illness begins most frequently with fever, runny nose, cough, and sometimes wheezing. During their first RSV infection, between 25 percent and 40 percent of infants and young children have signs or symptoms of bronchiolitis or pneumonia, and 0.5 percent to 2 percent require hospitalization. Most children recover from illness in 8 to 15 days.

The majority of children hospitalized for RSV infection are less than 6 months old. RSV also causes repeated infections throughout life, usually associated with moderate-to-severe cold-like symptoms; however, severe lower respiratory tract disease may occur at any age, especially among the elderly or among those with compromised cardiac, pulmonary, or immune systems.

Data gathered from regional hospitals across the state indicates the number of babies testing positive for RSV has exceeded the 10 percent threshold this winter.

More than 125,000 infants are hospitalized nationwide each year with RSV.

The county Health Department still has flu vaccinations available, but it takes two weeks from when the shot is given to develop immunity to the flu.

Common ways to ward off the flu bug are to wash your hands, drink plenty of water and get lots of rest.