Tag: Flu
How historical disease detectives are solving mysteries of the 1918 flu
The deadly 1918 epidemic posed a few epidemiological puzzles. The virus spread in an unusual way. Early outbreaks were mild and local – reported in a handful of countries around the world in the first half of 1918 – only to turn into uniquely severe infections later that year.
Why the flu makes you feel so bad
Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, headaches and fatigue. But just what causes all the havoc? Turns out that many of the body’s defenses that attack the flu virus also cause many of the symptoms associated with the flu.
Flu Update: Just how bad has it been in King County?
Copious media coverage has described the unusually widespread and severe flu season nationally. But what has it been like in our region?
The ‘Gesundheit Machine’ collects campus cooties in race against a fierce flu
If a student is sick enough, they get sent around the corner, to a room with a crazy-looking, Rube-Goldberg-like contraption known as the “Gesundheit Machine.” For half an hour, the student sits in the machine. As they breathe, the machine collects whatever virus they’ve got from the droplets in the breath they exhale.
Four things you need to know right now to protect yourself from the flu
Should I get vaccinated? What symptoms should I worry about? Is it safe for me to go to the doctor? Should I ask for Tamiflu?
Four things you need to know right now to protect yourself from the flu
This has been a particularly bad influenza season, starting early especially in the South and West Coast in the U.S. Here are some answers to frequent questions I am hearing from people about this year’s flu.
It’s not too late to get your flu shot
Influenza seasons and severity are unpredictable. Annual vaccination is the best way to prevent influenza among people ages 6 months and older. You also can reduce the spread of the flu and reduce its effects by taking such practical measures as washing your hands, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when you’re sick.
Defending against this season’s deadly flu: 5 things to know now
The H3N2 influenza A subtype that appears to be most prevalent this year is particularly nasty, with more severe symptoms including fever and body aches. Australia, which U.S. public health officials follow closely in their flu forecasting — in part because their winter is our summer — reported a record-high number of confirmed flu cases in 2017.
The US may be in for a tough flu season: 4 questions answered
Clinicians are bracing for a potentially harsh flu season this winter. As of early December, there have been 7,000 confirmed cases in the U.S. That’s double the amount as the same time last year. Between Oct. 1 through Nov. 25, there were 566 confirmed hospitalizations due to influenza. The hospitalization rate was highest for those 65 and older.
Influenza on the rise in Washington state
Flu can cause severe illness in some people, and can sometimes lead to death. Last flu season 278 people in Washington were confirmed to have died from influenza.
