Flu Season This Year Began At Christmas

Flu Season This Year Began At Christmas.
In Chicago, a polyclinic staff member describes the exigency concern as "knee-deep in flu and pneumonia cases". In Richmond, VA, Dr Kenneth Lucas of the Patient First clinic says he's seen a 30 percent eminence in flu cases, which "hit the adherent around Christmastime" and "really rolled in with the holidays". And in Rhode Island, where almost 10 percent of difficulty extent visits in the ago week were due to flu-like symptoms, situation Health Department Director Michael Fine predicts this could be the worst flu opportunity in years pictures. This year's influenza ripen got off to an initial start, and according to these and other published accounts it's ramping up as mountain top flu condition nears.

And "as we have moved into the end of December and January, function has as a matter of fact picked up in a lot more states," said Tom Skinner, spokesman for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nitrate. Flu age inveterately peaks in preceding January or inopportune February, Skinner said, but by November the flu was already dreadful and widespread in some parts of the South and Southeast.

Farther north, action has escalated in the Mid-Atlantic states, including Virginia, in joining to Illinois and Rhode Island. "We did get off to an earlier flinch than we normally see," Skinner said. According to the most late CDC statistics, ultimate updated Dec 22, 2012 16 states and New York City were reporting tainted levels of flu activity laser vein. The states count Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.

Experts tell each flu period is unique. "Why one year flu mature gets off to an ancient encouragement versus a recently establish is unknown," Skinner said. Last year's flu occasion was somewhat mild, Skinner noted. "We would watch this year's flu mellow will be more severe than last year, but how autocratic it's too early to say," he said.

The prevalent strain so far this year is H3N2, Skinner said. "In years last when we have seen an H3N2 dominate, we watch over to see more severe illness in little ones kids and the elderly," he added. An estimated 36000 common man die from the flu and its complications in a regular season, according to the CDC. From 1976 to 2006, estimates of flu-associated deaths in the United States ranged from a unfavourable of about 3000 to a drugged of about 49000 people.

The best refuge is for everyone 6 months of era and older to get the flu vaccine. "It's not too tardy to get vaccinated," Skinner said. Ample vaccine was made available, but since it's previous in the vaccination time it may be a little harder to find, he said.

Also encouraging is that the vaccine is a fabulous counterpart for the strains of flu circulating now, Skinner said. Flu symptoms number fever, cough, fatigue, bean and body aches, and runny nose. People at remarkable danger for flu and its complications are pregnant women, those 65 and older and anyone with a inveterate illness vito mol. The CDC urges these subjects to get the flu vaccine, which is obtainable as an injection or nasal spray and in a stronger prescribe for seniors.