Tracking the next pandemic: Avian Flu Talk |
The US 19-20 Flu Season |
Post Reply |
Author | |
Kilt5
V.I.P. Member Joined: March 29 2017 Status: Offline Points: 5740 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Posted: December 31 2019 at 4:27pm |
It's nasty
look at this graph - its exponential https://www.accuweather.com/en/health-wellness/why-this-years-flu-season-is-worse-than-last-year/653878 |
|
EdwinSm,
Moderator Joined: April 03 2013 Status: Offline Points: 24065 |
Post Options
Thanks(1)
|
Report for the week ending 4th January 2020
Also tragically the deaths of children are already at 32 so far this season, foretelling a lot of families will face more heartbreak. For the latest weekly report |
|
Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
'This is very strange': Rare early emergence of influenza B virus puts children at higher risk Jorge L. Ortiz USA TODAY Published 12:15 PM EST Jan 16, 2020 As an infectious disease specialist for the better part of four decades, Bernhard “Bud’’ Wiedermann has deep expertise on a range of illnesses, from malaria to Lyme disease to recurrent fevers. This year’s flu season has thrown him a curveball, though it is thankfully one he can adjust to: A predominant influenza B virus for the first time in 27 years. When outbreaks of the flu began earlier than usual in the fall, Wiedermann and his colleagues at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., noticed a leading cause was a virus that doesn’t typically emerge until the end of the season and is more likely to affect kids. “All of us here when we started seeing that coming through, not only from the CDC data but from our own testing, we were like, ‘Wow, what’s going on? This is very strange,’’’ Wiedermann said. Frightening: Flu blinds, nearly kills 4-year-old girl: 'There were no warning signs,' mom says Though initial signs pointed to the powerful A(H3N2) strain as the biggest concern this season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said most of the illnesses have been caused by B/Victoria viruses, followed by A(H1N1) viruses. The impact has been particularly harsh in Louisiana, where a New Orleans pediatric care facility reported 1,268 confirmed B virus infections in children from July 31 to Nov. 21, leading to 23 hospitalizations. Your Alexa-enabled speaker can help you find a nearby location offering the flu shot. Getty / SDI Productions Nationwide, the CDC said flu activity is high and will remain that way for weeks, although the level of severity appears lesser than in the past. For the season, the agency has tallied at least 9.7 million cases of the flu, 87,000 hospitalizations and 4,800 deaths. More than 68% of the positive results from tests in clinical labs were linked to the influenza B virus, which had not been predominant since the 1992-93 season. Those infections have accounted for nearly half the hospitalizations reported to the CDC. “I think there is a common misconception that influenza B viruses are associated with milder disease than flu A viruses,’’ CDC spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund said. “Influenza B viruses can cause severe illness in people of all ages, including children and adults.’’ The symptoms are the same regardless of the virus: fever in many cases, as well as a sore throat, cough, body aches, fatigue, runny or stuffy nose and headaches. But one significant difference is this year’s dominant viruses figure to impact children and young adults more than older folks. That makes it imperative for parents to make sure their kids get a flu shot, even at this point in the season, the CDC and Wiedermann said. In past years, about 75% of the children who died from the flu weren’t fully vaccinated. Nordlund said data showing the effectiveness of this season’s vaccine at fighting off the prevalent viruses won’t be available until late February, and preliminary indications are mixed, but she reiterated that some protection is better than none. In addition, studies have shown the effects of contracting the flu are less severe on those who are vaccinated than on those who aren’t. The CDC and Wiedermann emphasize the flu shot is effective and highly recommended for pregnant women regardless of their trimester, and also for children six months and older, who can take antivirals like Oseltamivir (known by the brand name Tamiflu) and others as early treatment or prevention. Wiedermann, who’s also a professor of pediatrics at George Washington University, worries about the vulnerability of unvaccinated children to a virus that’s typically not a major concern at this time of the season. “If we have the combination of not being immunized and being young enough that they haven’t seen the natural influenza B virus that much, that means we have whole lot of kids out there who aren’t immune to this virus,’’ Wiedermann said, “so we expect a lot of them to get infected.’’ The 2019-2020 flu season has so far not been as severe as the previous two, but the number of areas reporting regional or widespread flu activity has increased over the last few weeks, according to the CDC . More than 3% of doctors visits were for flu-like illness, higher than the national baseline of 2.4% for five weeks. The flu is unpredictable and the severity of the season varies from year to year. To identify the most serious flu complications, 24/7 Tempo talked to doctors and reviewed several studies published in various medical journals. There is no cure but there are ways you can ease the symptoms. The majority of people with the flu take seven to 10 days to get healthy again, Dr. Dyan Hes, Medical Director of Gramercy Pediatrics in New York City, said. Mild complications such as body aches, dehydration and vomiting are common, but more serious health risks can develop as well. The flu can make even healthy people very sick, Hes said. You don’t have to be weak or have a pre-existing condition to suffer severe complications, she added. “It kills healthy people, too.” This is just one reason why health experts worry about people catching the flu -- along with these other infections even doctors are afraid of .diego_cervo Published 12:15 PM EST Jan 16, 2020 Source: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/01/15/flu-season-kids-higher-risk-early-emergence-b-virus/4484266002/ |
|
How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
|
jacksdad
Executive Admin Joined: September 08 2007 Location: San Diego Status: Offline Points: 47251 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Coronaviruses and influenza B? Didn't see those coming
|
|
"Buy it cheap. Stack it deep"
"Any community that fails to prepare, with the expectation that the federal government will come to the rescue, will be tragically wrong." Michael Leavitt, HHS Secretary. |
|
carbon20
Moderator Joined: April 08 2006 Location: West Australia Status: Offline Points: 65816 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Mmmmmm left field....
Just have to keep watching.... And stay Aware.... |
|
Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.🖖
Marcus Aurelius |
|
EdwinSm,
Moderator Joined: April 03 2013 Status: Offline Points: 24065 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
for Week 2, ending January 11, 2020
While overall death rates may be lower than normal, the child deaths are way up (already passing the low figure of the 2011-12 season). |
|
Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
GOOD NEWS FOR A CHANGE
Flu activity is declining after the virus killed 39 children this season Flu activity in the U.S. dropped for a second consecutive week, the most recent drop declining in the week ending Jan. 11. Friday, January 17th 2020, 4:17 PM EST Updated: Friday, January 17th 2020, 4:21 PM EST CNN) -- Flu activity in the U.S. dropped for a second consecutive week, the most recent drop declining in the week ending Jan. 11, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the dips were intense, flu season is not necessarily past its peak. Even though flu activity is decreasing, "we're still at pretty high levels right now," said Lynnette Brammer, team lead of the CDC's domestic influenza surveillance team. The virus is still present in every state, with high levels of activity in 32 states. While overall numbers have dropped, the latest data has shown a strain of virus, influenza A, as increasing, which could lead to a second wave of flu infections, Brammer said. Flu vaccines are equipped to handle influenza A if it does strike. A majority of cases this year, with flu season beginning Sept. 29, were influenza B. That strain affects children more than adults: so far, 39 children in the U.S. have died from the flu this season -- 28 from the influenza B strain. The CDC estimates that there have been at least 13 million cases of the flu this season, resulting in 120,000 hospitalizations and 6,600 deaths. Source: https://www.nbc-2.com/story/41579894/flu-activity-is-declining-after-the-virus-killed-39-children-this-season |
|
How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
|
Kilt5
V.I.P. Member Joined: March 29 2017 Status: Offline Points: 5740 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
its getting worse
Prep The big one is coming |
|
LCfromFL
Adviser Group Joined: August 17 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1614 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
My 4 year old grandson (who did get this year's flu vaccine) tested positive for FluB on Friday. He started running a fever last Saturday. He's had 3 febrile seizures (1 was complex) so we were worried that he'd have another when he first started running a fever. Thankful to share that he didn't have one with this illness! His general symptoms weren't that terrible...but the fever just kept on and on. My daughter took him to the pediatrician on Friday (day 7 of the fever). He started having bloody noses late on Thursday. I've never known anyone to have that happen with flu. Weird. His pediatrician did a CBC and it was normal. He ran a fever again yesterday morning but has been fever free since around noon yesterday. Of course my daughter started running a fever yesterday late afternoon (she also received this year's flu shot) - my 8 yo grandson and son in law are symptom free for now. I told her to get online with Teledoc to ask for Tamiflu for her and for the other two.
My other daughter works in a local hospital's ED. She said they've been seeing a lot of flu-like illnesses for weeks now. We are all in NE FL (Jacksonville area). |
|
Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
Post Options
Thanks(1)
|
I hope your family avoid the worst/recover fast and fully.
Thanks for updating us. Please keep it up!! |
|
How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
|
Kilt5
V.I.P. Member Joined: March 29 2017 Status: Offline Points: 5740 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
At this point in the season, CDC estimates indicate that there have been 13 million influenza illnesses, 120,000 hospitalizations, and 6600 flu-related deaths.
|
|
EdwinSm,
Moderator Joined: April 03 2013 Status: Offline Points: 24065 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
The Wuhan virus figures are still low against the normal flu figure - these are just for the USA for this season up till 25th January 2020
USA CDC |
|
Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
True, but:
A, flu has been around all of last year B, there are flu vaccinations available. C, People's immune systems are fairly used to flu, whereas this new virus is just that - new. I am still not claiming this is a "slate wiper - even though I may make jokes about that - but if not watched closely, I think it could be nasty....... .................. As can flu, of course. |
|
How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
|
Usk
V.I.P. Member Joined: January 26 2020 Location: Virginia Status: Offline Points: 7325 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Something weird is going on in Hospitals near me. Many severe respiratory ER visits but they do not test positive for seasonal flu. Is it already here?
|
|
Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Unlikely this early, but just the sort of thing you should be watching for.
Be safe. |
|
How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
|
LCfromFL
Adviser Group Joined: August 17 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1614 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
That situation with children is scary. My 4 yo grandson tested positive for FluB a couple of weeks ago - and then my daughter came down with it. Both seemed to have mild illnesses with fever and aches primary complaints...and both felt much better within a week. My other grandson (age 8) didn't come down with it - nor did my SIL. All had this year's flu vaccine.
|
|
Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
There are lots of other respiratory viruses: RSV, Cold virus, adenovirus, parainfluenza are all fairly common. Some enteroviruses can appear to attack the respiratory tract too.
The current spate of kiddie illnesses are probably one of those if they test negative for flu. It is not totally impossible for them to be caused by this new virus, but it is extreemly, fantastically unlikely. It is just simply too early in the outbreak for it to be here in those numbers yet. |
|
How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
|
Kilt5
V.I.P. Member Joined: March 29 2017 Status: Offline Points: 5740 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
flu is still the biggest killer
|
|
Technophobe
Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Currently that is correct. Wether or not it remains so, is yet to be revealed.
|
|
How do you tell if a politician is lying?
His lips or pen are moving. |
|
Kilt5
V.I.P. Member Joined: March 29 2017 Status: Offline Points: 5740 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
the H5N1 has a mortality rate of 60% and the H7N9 has a mortality rate of 30%
only Ebola and AIDS is worse But flu infects faster and easier |
|
Post Reply | |
Tweet
|
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You can vote in polls in this forum |