Current Flu Season Is Deathly

Current Flu Season Is Deathly.
The in vogue flu season, already off to a rude start, continues to get worse, with 43 states now reporting widespread flu action and 21 child deaths so far, US health officials said Monday. And, the predominate flu continues to be the H3N2 separate - one that is poorly matched to this year's vaccine, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The division of outpatient visits for flu-like symptoms reached nearly 6 percent by the end of December, approach above the baseline of 2 percent, CDC spokeswoman Erin Burns said Monday.

Flu reaches plague levels in the United States every year, Dr Michael Jhung, a medical dick in CDC's influenza division, told HealthDay matrix week. Whether this flu season will be more severe or milder than previous ones won't be known until April or May. The mob of children's deaths from flu varies by year. "In some years we get the drift as few as 30, in other years we have seen over 170. Although it's the mid-section of the flu season, the CDC continues to recommend that everyone 6 months and older get a flu shot.

The reason: there's more than one exemplar of flu circulating, and the vaccine protects against at least three strains of circulating virus. "If you grapple with one of those viruses where there is a very good match, then you will be well-protected. Even if there isn't a great match, the vaccine still provides bulwark against the virus that's circulating". People at jeopardy of flu-related complications include young children, especially those younger than 2 years; people over 65; in a family way women; and people with chronic health problems, such as asthma, heart disease and weakened exempt systems, according to the CDC.

Common flu symptoms can include fever, chills, cough, extreme throat, muscle aches and fatigue. Vomiting and diarrhea are seen more often in children with flu than adults. Most settle recover from flu anywhere from a few days to a bit less than two weeks. But others let life-threatening complications, such as pneumonia, according to the CDC. Parents should take flu seriously, and get medical succour if they feel their child is very sick.

Warning signs might include a cough that disrupts sleep, a fever that doesn't come down with treatment, or increased shortness of breath, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. Adults and children with discouraging flu can be treated with antiviral medications such as Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (inhaled zanamivir). "Those travail best when they are given very quickly. So if you do have signs and symptoms of flu, register with out to a haleness care provider and get evaluated.

Flu seasons are unpredictable, according to the CDC. Each year, on average, 5 percent to 20 percent of the US citizenry gets the flu and more than 200000 people are hospitalized from complications sildenafilrx. During a 30-year period, from 1976 to 2006, estimates of flu-related deaths in the United States ranged from a smutty of about 3000 to a great in extent of about 49000 people, the agency said.