Rotorua is being hit hard with winter illnesses that are forcing flu-struck residents to stay in bed.
The Rotorua-Taupo district has the second-highest rate of GP consultations for flu-like illness in a recent report for the Ministry of Health, at 48.5 weekly visits per 100,000 people.
The national weekly average has been 18 recently however, the district is still under the normal for winter, which is a national rate of 50 per 100,000 people.
The local district is behind the central Auckland health district, which has recorded 52 consultations for every 100,000 people.
Lakes District Health Board communications officer Sue Wilkie said flu-type presentations to the Rotorua emergency department were the "same as usual for this time of year".
They were not full to capacity as they still had beds available, she said.
However, those who have been struck by the flu in the past couple of months have been "extremely unwell and bed-ridden".
Rotorua pharmacist Ian Edward from Pharmacy 44 said flu-type products were in hot demand.
"Winter is here. People need to do the sensible things like staying warm, particularly at night and all the basics like not coughing over the person sitting near you and by sneezing and coughing into your elbow."
He said patients should take paracetamol to keep temperatures at normal rates, keep up fluids and try to have 10-hour sleeps.
"It is going to pass in five days but we do have medications that can help relieve some of the symptoms."
Mr Edward said since chemists no longer stocked pseudoephedrine products because of their use in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine, other products were now available using a drug called phenylephrine, which also helped dry up blocked and runny noses.
Rotorua District Council human resources manager Judy Holden said at the Rotorua District Council a total of 255 staff took 504 sick days in May - a 27 per cent increase in the amount of sick days taken for the same period last year.
In April, 150 staff got flu vaccinations.
At John Paul College, principal Patrick Walsh said although the school hadn't had a huge number of staff and students off due to the flu, those who had it had suffered quite badly.
Influenza is typically a worse illness than a cold and is characterised by sudden onset of high fever, headache, chills, muscle aches and a cough.
"In confined spaces it spreads around."
Mr Walsh said that in the past month staff and students with the flu had not been able to get out of bed and were very unwell.
"The ones who have got the flu have got it pretty bad."
He said students should wear raincoats and use umbrellas even if they were not cold.
Reduce the risk of infection:
Cover coughs and sneezes
Wash hands with soap and water, and dry thoroughly
If you are sick, stay away from work and school
If you get sick and think it may be influenza, you should phone Healthline first on 0800 611 116, or your doctor. In an emergency phone 111.