This flu season was particularly brutal and does not show signs of wandering.
Since October, at least 24 million cases have occurred in the United States. Centers for control and prevention of diseases estimate that up to 650,000 hospitalizations have occurred, which would make it a The highest level of hospitalization since 2017. Many parts of the country report “high” or “very high” rate of flu.
High cases are noticeable right now, given that this is the season when the flu usually begins to slow down, Dr. Susan R. Russell, medical director of the intensive care unit for medical care in Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Russell, however, said she still saw the flood of patients in the hospital with a sick flu.
Dr. Donald Dumford, a doctor in an infectious disease at Cleveland Clinic, said, “A few weeks ago I said,” Oh, we hit our peak, it starts to go down. “”
“And then I deceived,” he added.
It is not entirely clear why the current flu season was so serious. The doctors said that the vaccination rate was not as high as they would like to see: According to CDC preliminary data this season, this season has received influenza vaccination and a similar proportion of adults. Football shots reduce the chance of infection and can also help reduce the spread of the virus to others.
And some shares in cases could be a persistent result of pandemic locking when the transmission of many common viruses slowed down when people practiced social distance, Dr. Russell. Our immune systems may still be out of practice after this time they did not have to reflect respiratory diseases.
Some people are on high risk Serious and developing complications from infection infection. This includes people who are very young or very old or have basic lung or neurological disorders. Persons with obesity, heart disease or high blood pressure are also exposed to increased risk of serious diseases, as well as pregnant women.
Visits of the emergency department associated with the influenza have increased among children in recent weeks under 4 years of age. The rate of hospitalization for the influenza grows between all age groups, but adults 65 and older are to the hospital in the hospital Especially high numbers.
Dr. Brad Uren, a doctor of emergency medicine at the University of Michigan Health, said his own child was a sick flu this week. “This created another burden on children’s care,” he said. “But knowing that it could prevent some other child to get sick and bring him home to her grandparents – that’s why you do it.”
The influenza season usually ends in May, which means that the flu shot is not too late. (Remember that kicking antibodies lasts several weeks.) Vaccination can reduce the risk of hospitalization for the flu and can do it Symptoms less severe.
Measures of common sense – such as washing hands or wearing a mask in crowded, poorly ventilated areas – they can also reduce the risk, the doctors said. The flu spreads with small droplets filled with a virus that sprayed into the air when the infected person speaks, sneezes, cough or even laughs. These droplets can stick to the surfaces such as handles and boards where people who touch them can infect them and then touch their nose, eyes or mouth.
You should also stay at home if you don’t feel good to prevent potentially spread the virus.
After you are exposed to the flu, it usually takes one to four days to feel bad. Sometimes people are contagious the day before symptoms that may include fever, chills, cough, headaches and muscle pain. The influenza match can let you feel erased, and can also cause your nose to clog or runny nose. People with flu are usually contagious about a week.
Symptoms of influenza may sound similar to symptoms caused by another viral infection: COVID-19. A new combination of home tests can help determine which virus you have. And while Covid remains a threat, the United States is experiencing their the smallest winter wave The virus so far. In fact, preliminary data from last week in January shows that the flu could die a slightly larger percentage of people than Covid.
“The dominant infection of the virus we see this year is the flu,” said Dr. Russell.
