The Flu

The Flu

The flu, or influenza, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. The flu spreads mostly from person to person, and people with flu are most contagious in the first three to four Trusted Source days after their illness begins.

The flu can come on suddenly. Early symptoms can include fatigue, body aches and chills, cough, sore throat, and fever. For most people, influenza resolves on its own, but sometimes, the flu, and its complications, can be deadly.

The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get vaccinated each year, but good health habits like covering your cough and washing your hands often can help stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu. There also are flu antiviral drugs that can be used to treat and prevent flu. The tips and resources below will help you learn about steps you can take to protect yourself and others from flu and help stop the spread of germs.

Flu viruses travel through the air in droplets when someone with the infection coughs, sneezes, or talks. You can inhale the droplets directly, or you can pick up the germs from an object and then transfer them to your eyes, nose, or mouth. People with flu can spread it to others up to about six feet away Trusted Source.

At the time of publishing this article, influenza activity in the United States Trusted Source for the 2018-2019 flu season remained low. The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness increased slightly to 1.7 percent, which is below the national baseline of 2.2 percent.

The 2017-2018 flu season, however, was one of the deadliest Trusted Source in decades, with high levels of outpatient clinic and emergency department visits for flu-like illness and high flu-related hospitalization rates.

Prevalence

There are four types of influenza viruses: A, B, C, and D. Human influenza A and B viruses cause seasonal epidemics almost every winter in the United States.

Influenza C infections generally cause a mild respiratory illness and are not thought to cause epidemics. Meanwhile, influenza D viruses primarily affect cattle and are not known to infect or cause illness in humans.

Most people who get sick with flu will have mild illness, will not need medical care or antiviral drugs, and will recover in less than two weeks. People at higher risk of developing flu complications include:

• Children younger than age 5, especially those younger than age 2
• Adults older than age 65
• Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
• Pregnant women and women up to two weeks postpartum
• People with weakened immune systems
• People who have chronic illnesses, such as asthma, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, and diabetes
• People who are very obese, with a body mass index of 40 or higher

The flu has resulted in 9.3 million to 49 million illnesses Trusted Source each year in the United States since 2010. Each year, on average, five to 20 percent of the United States population gets the flu.

It is estimated that the flu results in 31.4 million Trusted Source outpatient visits and more than 200,000 hospitalizations Trusted Source each year.

During the severe 2017-2018 flu season Trusted Source, one of the longest in recent years, estimates indicate that more than 900,000 people were hospitalized and more than 80,000 people died from flu.

Additionally, as of late October 2018, 185 pediatric deaths Trusted Source had been reported to CDC during the 2017-2018 season. Approximately 80 percent of these deaths occurred in children who had not received a flu vaccination.

Last season took the greatest toll on adults age 65 years and older. About 58 percentTrusted Source of the estimated hospitalizations occurred in that age group.

Avoid catching the flu

Are you looking for ways to avoid being struck down by the flu? Although complete immunity can't be guaranteed, we have put together some top tips that might just protect you from getting sick this flu season.

Incredibly, the flu pandemic of 1918–1919 killed more people than the First World War.

And today, between 9.2 million and 35.6 million cases Trusted Source of flu arise each year in the United States.

Flu is responsible for around 140,000–710,000 hospitalizations and 12,000–56,000 deaths annually.

It is a highly contagious respiratory illness that is caused by influenza types A and B viruses. Flu activity often begins in October in the U.S., peaks December through February, and sometimes lasts until as late as May.

Although flu and the common cold share many symptoms, they are vastly different