Doctor Is In by Dr. Adil Manzoor OP/ED
While the influenza (commonly known as Flu) viruses are detected year-round in the US, they are most common during the fall and winter. The exact timing and duration vary ever year, but it’s safe to say that flu activity increases in October and peaks between the months of December and February and sometimes can last into late May!
The figure shows peak flu activity in the US from 1982 to 2018 flu seasons. During this 36-year period, flu activity most often peaked in February, meaning that for 15 years, the number of flu cases peaked in February, followed by December (7 years), January (6 years) and so on.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the burden of illness during the 2018-2018 season was high with an estimated 48.8 million people getting sick with influenza, 22.7 million people going to a health care provider, 959,000 hospitalizations and 79,400 deaths of which 118 were 0-4 years, 500 were 5-17 years, and 68,448 were 65 years or older! The influenza burden was higher than any season since the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic.
Can you imagine losing your loved one? Losing one human life is daunting but losing 79,400 that could have potentially been prevented is unfathomable.
Hence, this is why we advocate that everyone get a Flu Shot before the start of the Flu Season – we want to prevent people from going to the hospital and potentially dying from a preventable illness.
I Got The Flu Shot Last Year, And Still Got The Flu!
It’s true that those who receive the flu shot can get the flu, but why is that? That’s because the virus changes every season, like you do your clothing, your hair, which allows it to hide against the previous year’s flu shot. However, scientists work diligently to predict what the virus will do and develop a vaccine that can fight it.
Every year, the CDC conducts studies to determine how well the influenza (flu) vaccine protects against flu illness. While its effectiveness can vary, recent studies show that flu vaccination reduces the risk of flu illness by between 40% and 60% among the overall population during seasons when the flu vaccine matches most circulating flu viruses.
So, if you get the flu shot, and the vaccine is well-matched to the circulating virus, you can reduce your risk of getting the Flu by almost 50%!
How Can The Flu Shot Help Me?
There are many reasons to get a flu vaccine each year. Below is a summary of the benefits of flu vaccination:
· Flu vaccination can keep you from getting sick with flu.
· Flu vaccine can be life-saving in children.
· Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, including those who are more vulnerable to serious flu illness, like babies and young children, older people, and people with certain chronic health conditions.
· Flu vaccination can reduce the risk of flu-associated hospitalization for children, working age adults, and older adults.
· Flu vaccination helps prevent serious medical events associated with some chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and chronic lung disease.
· Vaccination helps protect women during and after pregnancy.
· Flu vaccination has been shown in several studies to reduce severity of illness in people who get vaccinated but still get sick.
So, if you’re a parent with young children, by getting the Flu Shot, you can help protect your kids. If you’re someone with many chronic diseases like diabetes or heart failure, getting the flu shot can reduce your risk of these diseases worsening if you were to be infected with the flu.
What Will The Flu Virus Do To Me If I Catch It?
Flu Symptoms have a broad range, but typically people come to the doctor with the following concerns:
· Fevers as high as 102F to 103F or feeling feverish/chills
· Sore throat & cough
· Runny or stuffy nose
· Muscle or body aches
· Headaches
· Fatigue (tiredness)
· Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
I have had the flu a couple of times in the past, most recently while in medical school and it was the year, I forgot to get my flu shot. Not only did I feel all of the above symptoms, I was in bed for two straight days, only getting up to eat or drink something and ended up missing so much schoolwork that it took me 2 weeks to catch up! Lucky for me, it was only school work I had to catch up on.
How Can You Get The Flu & What You Can Do To Prevent It
The virus spreads via tiny droplets that are released when one who has the flu coughs, sneezes or talks. Yes, you read that correctly, talks! These droplets can land on surfaces or in people’s mouths, or noses. The virus can survive on surfaces for hours and those whom touch them, and subsequently touch their nose, mouth or eyes, can get inoculated by the virus and develop the flu!
To prevent yourself from catching the flu, get the flu shot! You can further decrease your risk by washing your hands thoroughly before eating. Because the virus can be found on door handles, shopping cart handles, tables, we advise that you carry hand sanitizer and utilize it as often as necessary.
I Got The Flu. What Do I Do?
Most people with the flue have a mild illness and do not need medical care or antiviral drugs.
However, if you get sick with flu, antiviral drugs may be a treatment option, especially those who are in the high risk groups, such as the elderly especially 65 years of age and older, young children, pregnant females and people with certain medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease.
When used for treatment, antiviral drugs can lessen symptoms and shorten the time you are sick by 1 or 2 days. They also can prevent serious flu complications, like pneumonia. For people at high risk of serious flu complications, treatment with antiviral drugs can mean the difference between milder or more serious illness possibly resulting in a hospital stay. CDC recommends prompt treatment for people who have influenza infection or suspected influenza infection and who are at high risk of serious flu complications.
Do I Need To Go To The Emergency Room Or Urgent Care If I Am Think I Have The Flu?
Absolutely not! Here, at Mobile Medicine NJ we believe that the emergency room should be used for people who are very sick. If you think you have the flu, reach out to us and we can come to you, at your home, and at your time to evaluate you and if necessary, we can do a quick flu test. Schedule with us at any time at www.gardenstatemobile medicine.com
Many urgent care issues can be managed via Telemedicine services. If you want to be seen right away, with the click of a button, schedule a Telemedicine with us right away, at www.mobilemedicinenj.com or calling or texting at (732) 314-7410.
Protect yourself and your family (and friends and co-workers) from the flu this year!
Thank you for reading. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at any time via the aforementioned services.
References
· “Influenza (Flu) | CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm.
