US Flu season in Full Swing - Update

[raptor]

The 2020 Flu season is off and running!

Key Updates for Week 2, ending January 11, 2020
Key indicators that track flu activity declined slightly but remain high. Indicators that track severity (hospitalizations and deaths) are not high at this point in the season.

The flu vaccine does provide protection but only against 3 or 4 strains. It does nothing to prevent the common cold.

Remember that hands contaminated with the virus is the primary way cold/flu viruses are transmitted. So wash your hands and keep you hands away from your face unless you are sure they are clean.


A link to the CDC Flu dashboard.
https://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/fluview/flupo ... board.html

[TacAir]

In addition to the flu vaccine, consider getting ones for pneumonia. This is a silent killer for both young and old alike.

[Evan the Diplomat]

Diabetic patients are particularly vulnerable.

[MPMalloy]

Diabetic patients are particularly vulnerable.

Hmmm......

[raptor]

The coronavirus is getting all the headlines but the US flu season is in full swing basically everywhere except Idaho.

During week 3, the following ILI activity levels were experienced:

High – New York City, Puerto Rico, and 35 states (Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, W
est Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming)
Moderate – the District of Columbia and six states (Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, South Dakota, and Vermont)
Low – eight states (Alaska, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Ohio)
Minimal – one state (Idaho)

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm#ILIActivityMap

[Evan the Diplomat]

Could not copy the image, but this infographic is worth a look.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/pr ... imates.htm

[MPMalloy]

Don't delay getting to ID, NT2C

[Ad'lan]

The hospital in the big city near me has been hiot so bad with the Flu they are quarantining the whole 3rd floor.

https://www.thenorthernview.com/news/fl ... elsewhere/

Patients are being redirected and the city is hosting a major local basketball tournament in a week and a half. It's a much bigger concern to my local community than Corona virus right now, lots of those traveling will be elders.

[Ellywick]

Lists moderate for Missouri above, but it is in full swing and serious in my neck of the woods. What is most concerning is the effect the strain around here (a form of B) has had on people who are not elderly, children, or immunocompromised. Particularly with breathing issues. I had a friend in her early 40s just pass from it who had no other health issues. I had to go to Urgent Care when I had it because I was struggling to breathe and had another acquaintance go to the ER after hours for the same reason. All in the space of 2 weeks and we are all relatively healthy. Not to count all the other cases I am not personally related to. Feels fairly surreal.

[MPMalloy]

Lists moderate for Missouri above, but it is in full swing and serious in my neck of the woods. What is most concerning is the effect the strain around here (a form of B) has had on people who are not elderly, children, or immunocompromised. Particularly with breathing issues. I had a friend in her early 40s just pass from it who had no other health issues. I had to go to Urgent Care when I had it because I was struggling to breathe and had another acquaintance go to the ER after hours for the same reason. All in the space of 2 weeks and we are all relatively healthy. Not to count all the other cases I am not personally related to. Feels fairly surreal.

Was anyone a smoker/former smoker?

[Brekar]

I live in Mo, and between my wife and me, my 4 kids, ever single one of us got the flu and nasty congestion that lasted 10 days. Those 10 days were over Christmas Break to New Years and it a 10 day roller coaster of temp. going up and down, really bad body aches and several trips to the urgent care. We all had Influenza B, and one of my kids and Influenza A & B. Fun times...

Oh yeah and I tried Tamiflu for the 1st time ever and had really weird side effects, So that was fun...

[raptor]

NOLA 2019 flu season was really bad in Nov & Dec. It seems to have to have slowed a bit ... only because everyone got it already.

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge ... 28327.html

That said IMO this flu season is still under way and you need to take precautions.

The CDC says it is still raging coast to coast everywhere except Idaho. I wonder if Idaho is a reporting issue.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm#ILIActivityMap

During week 3, the following ILI activity levels were experienced:

High – New York City, Puerto Rico, and 35 states (Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming)
Moderate – the District of Columbia and six states (Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, South Dakota, and Vermont)
Low – eight states (Alaska, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Ohio)
Minimal – one state (Idaho)

[Ellywick]

Lists moderate for Missouri above, but it is in full swing and serious in my neck of the woods. What is most concerning is the effect the strain around here (a form of B) has had on people who are not elderly, children, or immunocompromised. Particularly with breathing issues. I had a friend in her early 40s just pass from it who had no other health issues. I had to go to Urgent Care when I had it because I was struggling to breathe and had another acquaintance go to the ER after hours for the same reason. All in the space of 2 weeks and we are all relatively healthy. Not to count all the other cases I am not personally related to. Feels fairly surreal.

Was anyone a smoker/former smoker?

Nope, all non-smokers.

[raptor]

The kung flu is getting all the news, but the flu season in the US is apparently bad enough here to shut down a school district:

https://detroit.cbslocal.com/2020/01/30 ... l-in-sick/

CLEVES, Ohio (CBS Local) — An entire school district in Ohio was shut down for two days this week after nearly 600 students called in sick, the district’s superintendent said.

All classes and after school activities at Three Rivers Local School District in Cleves were cancelled for Thursday, Jan. 30 and Friday, Jan. 31. because of a major flu outbreak.

Superintendent Craig Hockenberry said out of nearly 2,400 people who attend or work at three schools on campus, about 600 students and as many as 50 staff members are out sick.

[MPMalloy]

The kung flu

[raptor]

The kung flu

[MPMalloy]

The kung flu

What movie is that?

[SRO1911]

Sweet & sour sicken. ..

And boom, I've got the flu.

[raptor]

CONVID 19 is getting the headlines but people in the US still getting the flu. It has been a really bad year for the influenza virus and based upon current stats (YMV on the accuracy of these) more people have died in the US from influenza than CONVID 19 at least so far.

The CDC says this is one of the worst flu seasons for children. Ninety-two have died since last fall, which is the highest total at this point in the season in the past decade.

Overall, about 14,000 Americans have died from the flu this season.

https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2020/ ... spreading/