I can't remember at time when I have seen so many people sick at once. There is a very nasty strain of flu going around here where I live. Some people are bedridden for a week or more. It also seems that those who don't have the flu have a cold. I'm guessing about 60% of the people around here are sick right now. Of course that is a very unscientific guess but it sure seems that way.
I haven't gotten the flu but I do have a cold.
Is the same thing going on where you live?
This from the CDC via CNN:
(CNN) -- The number of states reporting widespread seasonal flu activity jumped from four to 10 last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.
Widespread activity was reported in Alabama, Alaska, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wyoming, according to the CDC's weekly flu advisory report, covering the week ending December 21.
The previous week, only Alabama, Louisiana, New York and Texas reported widespread flu.
"Widespread" means that more than 50% of geographic regions in a state -- counties, for example -- are reporting flu activity. It addresses the spread of the flu, not its severity.
Flu kills five in Texas However, six states -- Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas -- reported a high proportion of outpatient visits to health care providers for flu-like illnesses.
So far, "it's a typical influenza season, if I can use that word," said Dr. Michael Jhung, a medical officer in the CDC's flu division.
The season usually begins in the winter months and peaks in January or February.
The only atypical thing seen this year is that the most common strain has been H1N1, which became known as swine flu during a 2009 outbreak.
"It's the same virus that we saw in 2009 that caused the pandemic," Jhung said. At the time, it was called swine flu since it was seen for the first time in humans.
But since then, "it's established itself very nicely in the human population," Jhung said. "We've seen it every season since 2009 in people." The virus is no longer referred to as swine flu but instead as a human seasonal virus.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/27/health/cdc-flu/
The CDC didn't mention California as one of the places hit hard. I hope it doesn't get any worse.
I haven't gotten the flu but I do have a cold.
Is the same thing going on where you live?
This from the CDC via CNN:
(CNN) -- The number of states reporting widespread seasonal flu activity jumped from four to 10 last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.
Widespread activity was reported in Alabama, Alaska, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wyoming, according to the CDC's weekly flu advisory report, covering the week ending December 21.
The previous week, only Alabama, Louisiana, New York and Texas reported widespread flu.
"Widespread" means that more than 50% of geographic regions in a state -- counties, for example -- are reporting flu activity. It addresses the spread of the flu, not its severity.
Flu kills five in Texas However, six states -- Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas -- reported a high proportion of outpatient visits to health care providers for flu-like illnesses.
So far, "it's a typical influenza season, if I can use that word," said Dr. Michael Jhung, a medical officer in the CDC's flu division.
The season usually begins in the winter months and peaks in January or February.
The only atypical thing seen this year is that the most common strain has been H1N1, which became known as swine flu during a 2009 outbreak.
"It's the same virus that we saw in 2009 that caused the pandemic," Jhung said. At the time, it was called swine flu since it was seen for the first time in humans.
But since then, "it's established itself very nicely in the human population," Jhung said. "We've seen it every season since 2009 in people." The virus is no longer referred to as swine flu but instead as a human seasonal virus.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/27/health/cdc-flu/
The CDC didn't mention California as one of the places hit hard. I hope it doesn't get any worse.
