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Flu guide
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The Flu Season
You can almost set your clock by it, that window between sweeping up New Year confetti and Valentine’s Day, the period where colleagues are visibly missing from their desks and lines at the doctor’s office are at their longest. These signs point to one thing- the arrival of the dreaded flu season.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 1 out of 5 Americans are afflicted by the influenza virus every season. From this, over 200,000 are hospitalized and about 36,000 die annually from complications brought on by the bug which sees its potency peak between mid January and February.
Scientists have theorized inconclusively as to why outbreaks are so widespread during the cold months. Some attribute it to heightened travel and closer contact between people brought on by the holidays while others say the drop in temperature allows viruses to survive longer on surfaces like doorknobs and keyboards. Research also shows that flu transmission is enhanced when the air is cold and dry.
Cold Vs. Flu
The flu should not to be mistaken for a cold. According to Webmd.com, a website that deals with all things medical, a flu outbreak is much more severe and can incapacitate a sufferer, whereas a cold can oftentimes be shrugged off. The bug is brought about by the influenza A or B virus which attacks the respiratory tract.
Who is most vulnerable?
The elderly and children are especially vulnerable to the virus, as are people already suffering from existing health complications like asthma and diabetes. Symptoms from these existing diseases can be further aggravated by the flu bug, leading to more severe conditions like pneumonia.
Symptoms
The CDC lists the following flu symptoms:
• fever (usually high)
• headache
• extreme tiredness
• dry cough
• sore throat
• runny or stuffy nose
• muscle aches
• Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea (more common in children than adults.)
Spread
The virus is spread through respiratory secretions. This makes the spread of influenza especially conducive in conditions where large groups of people interact. Places like schools, hospitals and offices are hotbeds for influenza outbreaks.
Inhaling air droplets harboring the virus, direct contact through utensil sharing and the handling of contaminated items are some of the ways flu is passed from person to person. The virus is constantly evolving.
Prevention and treatment
Since the winter season hits the northern and southern hemisphere at different times each year, the World Health Organization commissions’ two batches of influenza vaccines annually.
The flu vaccine is the best way of preventing an outbreak with the best time for taking the shot being in October right before the advent of flu season.
According to webmd.com, there are two types of flu shots or influenza vaccines available for children and adults.
The traditional flu shot contains completely deactivated influenza viruses and cannot cause the flu. This method is administered in the form of an injection.
The other kind is a nasal spray called FluMist. FluMist contains weakened viruses which usually do not cause illness but can sometimes cause flu-like symptoms like runny nose and fatigue.
Other preventative steps just as important include simple, everyday acts like regularly washing ones hands, maintaining clean, sterile surfaces throughout the home and workplace and regularly exercising to boost the immune system.
As always, seek your doctor’s recommendation before taking on any kind of medication.
The evolving virus
The war against influenza took a hit this season, with a recent report by The Associated Press calling the most recent incarnation of the bug “overwhelmingly resistant” to the leading flu-fighting drug, Tamiflu. Medical experts strongly advise vaccinations as a preventative measure rather than treating a full-blown flu outbreak with medications later on.
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