What Are The Common Symptoms Of Flu To Watch Out For This Year? Here Is What To Know

CNBC reports. “In the US, hospitalizations for flu have increased to their highest level in a decade, with the Southeast now suffering the most. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, five out of every 100,000 Americans who were hospitalized with the flu during the week ending Nov. 5 were infected with the virus. This early in the flu season, the hospitalization rate is at its highest level since 2010, which was more than ten years ago.”

According to Brad Hutton, M.P.H., an infectious disease epidemiologist at Hutton Health Consulting, “The pandemic has significantly intensified and expedited the pipeline manpower shortages that are now affecting our healthcare system, particularly in hospitals and nursing homes. There are worries about a lack of hospital beds in most areas of the United States, particularly in pediatric units where space was already tight due to an early flu season, an increase in hospitalizations from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) that started in the spring, and ongoing COVID-19 disease. The CDC issued a health advisory on November 4th advising physicians nationwide to promote COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations as well as the use of antivirals to help slow the outbreak.”

Experts encourage you to use safety precautions and maintain good health in addition to getting the flu vaccination. In order to avoid contracting an illness, Anna Van Tuyl, MD, Interim Associate Chair and Director, Division of Critical Care Department of Emergency Medicine at Staten Island University Hospital, advises using facemasks, washing your hands frequently, and staying home when you are sick. If you are of legal age, vaccinations and booster shots will aid in the fight against specific viruses to ward off serious illnesses and hospitalization.

Hard to say, according to Charles Bailey, MD, Medical Director of Infection Prevention at Providence St. Joseph Hospital and Providence Mission Hospital (Orange County, CA). This year, flu cases have been more common in the southern hemisphere (primarily Australia), especially when compared to recent years when they were at all-time lows. This is probably due in part to global COVID restrictions.

It is unknown if it will be more deadly in addition to having a large number of cases, but this may be the case given that there has been less than usual “exposure” to the flu in recent years due to COVID, which has reduced overall flu immunity compared to a typical year where a sizable portion of the population has recently been exposed to the virus and has some degree of immunity.

According to Medical Editor at GoodRx and board-certified pediatrician Dr. Patricia Pinto-Garcia, “Although this year’s flu isn’t anticipated to kill more people than years past, we have already started to observe more instances than usual for this time of year. That could affect future projections. Less people are wearing masks as we approach the winter of 2022-2023, and people are reuniting in person once more. As a result, not only the flu but also COVID-19 and RSV will be on the rise. For the best infection protection this winter, it is crucial to get the COVID-19 vaccine as well as the flu shot.”

“As in most years, those at the extremes of age (very young or very elderly) are at most risk, along with those with weakened immunity or pre-existing lung and heart diseases,” says Dr. Bailey. Unvaccinated people are also more likely to have negative results.

“There are a variety of risk factors that may raise your chance of contracting a serious sickness or even passing away from the flu,” continues Dr. Pinto-Garcia. Each person experiences the flu differently. While some people may only have very minor symptoms, others may become critically ill and experience symptoms that progress to pneumonia or sepsis.

Your susceptibility to the flu and its consequences depends on a few variables. Your age is one aspect. Complications are more likely to occur in patients under the age of two and older than 65. Yet another risk factor is pregnancy. Because of the weakened immune system that often comes with pregnancy, illnesses are more likely to strike. It’s crucial to get a flu shot while pregnant to add an additional layer of defense.

Living in communal environments, such as assisted living facilities, increases the risk of contracting the flu. Last but not least, people who have ongoing medical issues are more likely to experience severe flu symptoms. especially those who suffer from lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma Diabetes, obesity, and heart issues are additional conditions that can be risk factors.

According to Dr. Bailey, vaccinations generally do not shield against infection, but they do, to some extent, lessen the severity of any symptoms that result from an infection and typically avert serious consequences. Therefore, we typically gauge the effectiveness of vaccines in terms of symptom prevention or the avoidance of serious illness, hospitalization, or death.

In a typical flu season, vaccines are 50–60% effective in preventing symptomatic influenza-like illnesses (ILI); this ILI category may include illnesses other than the flu (such as RSV, adenovirus, parainfluenza, and others for which even the best flu vaccine would not be expected to have any efficacy; this is partially the reason for the relatively low vaccine effectiveness compared to numbers that have been touted in recent years for COVID vaccines).

The flu is actually several strains of the same virus, according to Dr. Pinto-Garcia. The dominant strains change from year to year. Each year, scientists must predict which strain is likely to predominate, and the vaccine is developed based on historical trends. The effectiveness of the flu shot may vary from year to year if the trajectories are incorrect (which is inevitable given how frequently viruses mutate).

This also implies that your immunity to the flu is short-lived and that you lose protection from one flu season to the next. Both of these indicate that the virus is still able to spread from one person to another. You’re left with a situation where the flu virus can still spread easily through a community when you consider the fact that many people decide not to get vaccinated. However, it’s crucial to remember that even if the flu shot isn’t completely successful in preventing the flu, it still prevents people from becoming seriously ill. Therefore, if you have received the flu vaccine and become ill, you will likely feel better more quickly than those who have not.

Apparently, says Dr. Bailey “People may remain infectious for a week or more after the sickness starts, most often from the day before symptoms start until several days after symptoms manifest. How long do you remain infectious? Individuals who are immunosuppressed may remain contagious for a longer period of time; in general, someone is unlikely to be contagious a week after the onset of symptoms or 24 hours after the resolution of fever and respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, etc.).”

According to Dr. Pinto-Garcia, “It might be difficult to predict when the flu will spread. For the first three to four days after you start feeling ill, you are most infectious. The flu is extremely infectious, though, and may start spreading 24 hours before you even have any symptoms. Additionally, you can still spread germs up to a week after being unwell, potentially longer in the case of those with compromised immune systems. A good general rule of thumb is to stay at home until your fever has subsided, without the aid of medication, for at least 24 hours, in order to prevent spreading the illness.”

In part because there were fewer occurrences last year (because to COVID safeguards), with less current flu protection as a result this year, Dr. Bailey informs us. Also anticipated by the aforementioned experience in the southern hemisphere.

The flu is most prevalent in the winter, according to Dr. Pinto-Garcia, and it spreads through the air we breathe through droplets or aerosols. Coughing, sneezing, or speaking can all spread the infection between two people. People have been avoiding large indoor gatherings and generally donning masks to guard against COVID-19 for the past few winters.

The constraints will start to ease as individuals resume their usual activities, which will make it easier for the virus to spread across groups. Additionally, because so many individuals have been taking additional care to guard against COVID-19, flu rates have been rather low in recent years. In 2022 and 2023, we will see an increase in the number of flu cases as we stop taking those extra precautions.

Fever, cough, bodily pains (myalgias), sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, and weariness, according to Dr. Bailey. Except in youngsters, GI symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea are less prevalent. If you have trouble breathing, a change in your mental state, or a prolonged or high temperature, get medical help.

According to Dr. Pinto-Garcia, typical flu symptoms include a fever that lasts three to four days, as well as severe body pains, chills, exhaustion, chest congestion, and headaches. The symptoms often appear suddenly and are more severe than those of a cold. Additionally, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea may be experienced, especially in children.

The best way to treat the flu is to relax, remain at home, and drink lots of fluids. However, if you experience any serious symptoms of disease, such as trouble breathing, a fever or cough that improves only to return, dehydration, or seizures, you may need medical assistance. Tamiflu can also be beneficial, but you must begin using it within 48 hours of contracting the flu. In order to get a flu test, visit a doctor as soon as you suspect you may be sick with the flu.