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Flu Facts
Flu Facts: What is The Flu
“The flu” is a respiratory tract infection caused by the influenza virus. The illness it causes is usually more severe than other infections like the common cold.
Flu Symptoms
The most common flu symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, cough, sore throat, and a runny or stuffy nose. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are rare symptoms. Some symptoms may last a few days while others persist for two weeks or more.
Stomach Flu
“The stomach flu” is an incorrect term sometimes used to describe gastrointestinal illnesses caused by other organisms.
Flu Facts: How Long am I Contagious
The incubation period of the flu is 1 to 4 days. A person with the flu can be contagious for one day before symptoms present and for approximately five days afterward. Children can be contagious for a longer period of time.
Flu Prevention & Treatment
The single best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated each fall. Good health habits, such as hand washing, help protect against the flu, and antiviral medications are recommended for some.
There are currently four licensed influenza antiviral agents available in the U.S. They are amantadine, rimantadine, zanamivir, and oseltamivir. They are to be used as an adjunct to the vaccine for the control and prevention of the flu, not as a substitute for vaccination. Certain ones are used prophylactically to particularly protect high-risk individuals, while others may be used after the onset of illness to reduce the severity and duration of it. They must be recommended and prescribed.
Flu Facts: Worst Flu Season
Since the early 1900s, three pandemics (worldwide epidemics) have occurred.
- “The Spanish flu” occurred in 1918-19. There were approximately 500,000 deaths in the U.S. and 20 million worldwide.
- “The Asian flu” occurred in 1957-58. There were 70,000 deaths in the U.S.
- “The Hong-Kong flu” occurred in 1968-69. There were 34,000 deaths in the U.S.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu in the United States
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