This has been a severe flu season, with many patients experiencing flu earlier in the season and record numbers of people being infected. “There’s lots of flu in lots of places”, Jernigan told reporters.
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According to the most recent report from the New Mexico Department of Health, flu cases were up 7.3 percent during the first week of the year, the highest increase in the state.
Penobscot County also has the most hospitalizations due to flu, at 57, with York County at 35 and Cumberland County at 20.
“The influenza vaccine protects against multiple strains of flu”, Anderson said in a press release.
“Every individual over the age of six months should get a flu vaccine – not just for their own protection, but to protect others around them who may be more vulnerable to the flu and its complications”, O’Neal said in a statement.
According to the CDC, there were 22.7 hospitalizations per 100,000 people in the US last week – up from 13.7 the previous week.
Experts believe that fatalities could triple within two weeks – making the flu outbreak officially an “epidemic” in parts of Britain. In the same time frame a year ago, Callaway County had 37 confirmed cases of influenza A. “But in all fairness, this is the busiest I have ever seen it for seasonal influenza”, Nafzinger said.
If you have a case of the flu, it is important that you stay home until you are no longer infectious that’s usually 5 to 7 days. Elsewhere, there has been widespread media coverage of healthy adults who have died after getting the flu. Across the country, more than 80 percent of cases this season involve a different, nastier strain, H3N2 – the same strain that plagued Australian during its flu season. The El Paso Health Department reports there are 1,163 confirmed cases reported so far this flu season, as compared to 252 cases this time previous year. Data from the provincial report showed the vaccination rate in the province has climbed a measly 1% from 19%, but it’s not too late.
Harris said most of the cases in Alabama are “normal season flu” and that nothing is out of the ordinary.
So far, influenza A viruses have been the type most commonly identified.
“We need it and we could say we need it but that doesn’t mean we will get it, we have had great difficulty getting it in the past five to 10 years”. Symptoms can include fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue.
And then, she said, there are tried-and-true flu prevention techniques – frequently wash your hands with soap and warm water. “Stay at home if they have the flu or flu-like symptoms and to avoid contact with others”.
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In addition, many hospitals in MI and nationwide are experiencing shortages of IV bags and other fluids and supplies used to deliver medicine and treat dehydrated patients.
