Flu Season in Denver: How to Avoid the Flu, and What to Do If You Get It
Flu season in Colorado usually peaks between December and February. Here's how to avoid it, how to tell it from a cold, and why getting seen early can matter.
The flu comes on fast, with fever, body aches, chills, tiredness and a cough, and in Colorado flu season usually peaks between December and February. The best ways to avoid it are a yearly flu vaccine from your doctor or pharmacy, washing your hands, and staying away from people who are sick. If you do get it, antiviral medicine works best when it's started within about two days of the first symptoms, so people at higher risk should get seen early.
How to lower your chances of catching the flu
- Get a yearly flu vaccine. Pharmacies and primary care offices give them. (AfterOurs doesn't offer flu shots.)
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer
- Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth
- Keep your distance from people who are coughing or sneezing, and stay home when you're sick
- Clean shared surfaces like phones, keyboards and door handles
- Sleep, eat well and stay hydrated, which matters more in Denver's dry winter air
Flu or a cold?
A cold usually starts slowly with a stuffy nose and sore throat. The flu tends to hit suddenly and harder: high fever, chills, body aches and exhaustion that can keep you in bed for days. COVID and RSV can look like either. A rapid test can tell them apart, and our post on flu, COVID or RSV explains how.
If you get the flu
- Rest, and stay home until you've been fever-free for 24 hours without fever medicine
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Use acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fever and aches, dosed for age and weight
- Cover coughs and wash your hands to protect the people around you
Why the first two days matter
Antiviral medicines for flu can shorten the illness and lower the risk of complications, but they work best when started within about 48 hours of the first symptoms. That's most important for people at higher risk: children under 5, adults over 65, people who are pregnant, and people with asthma, heart disease, diabetes or a weakened immune system.
When to get seen
Come in early if you're at higher risk, if symptoms are severe, or if you start to feel better and then get worse, which can be a sign of pneumonia. Our post on walking pneumonia covers that. At an AfterOurs clinic, a standard self-pay visit is $175, a visit with a rapid flu test is $250, and a self-pay in-clinic visit never costs more than $330. A telehealth visit is $75. We contract with all major commercial and government plans, including Colorado Medicaid and Medicare. See our cold and flu page and the cost and insurance page.
Call 911 or go to the ER if you have trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure, new confusion, a seizure, severe muscle pain, can't keep fluids down, or are not urinating. In a child, also watch for fast breathing, ribs pulling in with each breath, lips turning blue, or not waking up or interacting.
Where to find us
Four clinics across metro Denver, all ages welcome, se habla español:
- Hampden (Southeast Denver): 8 AM–11 PM daily
- Littleton: 8 AM–11 PM daily
- Thornton: 8 AM–11 PM daily
- Highlands: Mon–Fri 5–11 PM, Sat–Sun 8 AM–11 PM
Walk in, or book online.
Medically reviewed by Peter Martinuzzi, MD
This article is general health information, not medical advice for your situation. If you are worried, come in or book a telehealth visit — and if it is an emergency, call 911.