Flu-News shows Flu is escalating. And now officials warn the Flu Season could last until May. FLASS is keeping an eye on the latest Flu-News so you can better protect your family. Last year’s flu season was fiercer by comparison. Therefore, there were more articles in mainstream news.
Protect Your Child and Ours. 3 Children Died, Un-vaccinated From Flu
Thus, we feel it’s essential to sound the alarm due to some disturbing statistics in recent weeks. USA Today reported, “Health experts say we still aren’t in the clear — a more severe strain now accounts for nearly half of all new cases, and flu season could linger until May.”
We are unabashed when we implore you to get your flu-shots because it is not too late.
Flu-News: A Bold New Strain of Virus Walks Down Main Street Now
It’s like “High Noon,” in the flu season with a new strain gunning for the unprotected public. Three major facts should alert you, especially if you or a loved one has been too “busy” to get a flu shot.
Flu-News Fact Number One-Don’t Let the New Variant Virus Blind-side You!
A new and “different strain of the flu virus, a “variant” virus, now accounts for 46.9 percent of cases,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (By definition, a “variant” means “When an influenza virus that normally circulates in swine (but not people) is detected in a person, it is called a “variant influenza virus.” For example, if swine-origin influenza A H3N2 virus is detected in a person, that virus will be called an “H3N2 variant” virus or “H3N2v” virus.”
But, FLASS has to say, “What’s in a name?” No matter what its name any type of flu can make you feel miserable and take you away from work, school and family activities.
Flu-News Fact Number 2: We Stand at the Peak of the Season
The combination of the current time of Flu Season and the detection of the new strain, we could diverge into two directions. On the one hand, the statistic “could mean an increase in sickness.” On the other hand, “more people were vaccinated this year compared to last.” This typically means the flu season will be lighter.
Just in case you feel a false sense of protection because you live in a mildly affected area, let’s review some numbers. Since October, 7.3 million people have fallen ill with real influenza. 69,000-84,000 of them have been hospitalized as they manifested serious symptoms.
On a more positive note of Flu-news, the majority of today’s flu patients suffer from a strain that causes fewer hospitalizations and deaths than last year’s,” according to the CDC.
Flu-News Fact Number 3: About Today’s Flu Immunization Shots
The worst problem with today’s flu shots is that some families do not have the time or the priority to make sure everyone in the family takes the shot.
However, we do worry about the Flu-News fact that “the current immunization protects better against the main strain, H1N1, and not as well against H3N2viruses.” However, remember, a mild 3-4 day flu is much more easily fought than a full-strength case of the flu that lasts 2-4 weeks and goes into complications. Guess which of these two types you will likely endure without a flu shot?
A Little Flu-News Back Story for You. Four types of influenza viruses ride the range and then diverge into gangs of subtypes. Health experts this season are mostly seeing H1N1 and H3N2 viruses. The H3N2 virus is typically more severe, according to the CDC.
Lynnette Brammer, a leader in CDC’s influenza surveillance in the US, stated, “It looks like we are moving from an H1 wave to an H3 wave…” Then she added an ominous comment. “There’s still a lot of flu to come.”
The Moral of the Story
The bottom-line is that vaccines are still the best weapons in your arsenal for fighting the flu. And this year, the flus-shots are walking tall. The vaccine rocks a rating of 62 percent effective against H1N1. Likewise, it maintains a decent average of 44 percent effective against H3N2.
Let’s Round Up the Local Facts
Virus Can Kill. Shots Save Lives
We are pleased to announce that Florida Health has reported no new influenza-associated pediatric deaths last week.
However, we are sad to note that 3 influenza deaths have occurred since the flu season opened in October. Three Children killed by influenza so far this season. And it makes FLASS doctors and staff especially sad to reveal that all three deaths were un-vaccinated children.
As Florida Health states, “influenza vaccination can be life-saving in children.”
Flu-News Symptom Review–The Good, Bad and Ugly
In any good fight, you need to know and recognize your enemy. One way you can realize you are coming down with the flu instead of a common cold is that the flu won’t sneak up on you. It guns you down fast. If your enemy is a cold, then day-after-day, you get a little sicker. But the flu symptoms ambush you suddenly. They can overcome you within a matter of hours. Your fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, and tiredness send you right to bed. “Children with the flu could also vomit and have diarrhea, according to the CDC.”
Technical information on Flu-News in Florida includes similar statistics to the national facts in this article. “An increase in influenza A (H3) activity has been observed in recent weeks. Both influenza A 2009 (H1N1) and influenza A (H3) viruses have co-circulated throughout the season in Florida, with influenza A (H1N1) remaining the most common overall.”
We cannot count on the status quo, however. And we have seen mid-season changes in predominantly circulating strain in previous years. We will monitor the Flu-News from Florida Health closely for changes as we progress towards spring here in the Sunshine State.
There’s A New Flu Sheriff in Town: You!
Serious New Developments in Flu Cases and New Virus Reported
Please consider the FLASS doctors and staff as your allies in a quest to avoid the flu. Like an Old West posse, we have declared war on the flu. We’ll hunt down any flu strain for rustling our time, health and lives.
We don’t have to barricade our town, but we do need the double-barreled protection of immunization and disinfection. So, please take your flu injection. And then read or review our previous article on how to disinfect your environment during this flu season. Thank you once again, for reading the fierce Flu-News brought to you by the Florida Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists.