In a nutshell… As the Northern Hemisphere flu season approaches amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the same infection control measures used during the pandemic could help reduce flu cases. This article compares the two viral illnesses and the actions people can take to help prevent them. What will happen when the 2020 flu
As we begin the New Year, flu is spreading in the US. The map below from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website shows the current geographic distribution of flu. Media coverage of this phenomenon, and unfortunately, our own experience with flu, lead many to ask, “What is flu, and how does it spread?”
As we gather to celebrate the holidays, the “gifts” we least hope to share are the unseen pathogens that cause colds, flu and other illnesses. Holiday gatherings are prime venues for gift-exchange and, unfortunately, pathogen-exchange.
Are you ready for the coming flu season? “Down under” in Australia where it is springtime, the number of flu cases has doubled over last season’s total. Could that be an indication of what we might expect soon in the northern hemisphere? According to self-proclaimed flu-ologist Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the US National Institute
The 2016–2017 flu season is off to a slow start, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicts an uptick in flu activity in the coming weeks and months. Here are some tips to help prepare and inform you as flu appears in your community: Get a Flu Shot: CDC recommends a flu
Getting the flu vaccine is strategic. Getting the annual flu vaccine is the single best thing you can do to prevent the flu. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu shot for everyone six months old and older. Some folks are proudly posting their “vax” photos on the CDC’s
The recent multistate outbreak of foodborne illness linked to Costco rotisserie chicken salad is another reminder that safe food practices are as essential to fresh produce as they are to raw meats and poultry. The Costco outbreak was traced, not to contaminated chicken or tainted mayonnaise, but to E.coli-contaminated fresh celery in a diced vegetable
Are you ready for the big football game? Are you ready for the flu virus if it shows up at your big game party? This Sunday, as New England clashes with Seattle, your body may be up against its own formidable opponent—one that’s too small to be seen but packs a wallop. Here are my
Flu season is approaching rapidly. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that US flu related deaths can vary from 3,000 to 49,000 people depending on the year. The CDC recommends the following flu prevention tips : Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccination Wash your hands
Ahhh-choooo! An uncovered sneeze projects mucous particles into the air in a way that MIT scientists say permits the resulting “cloud” to travel farther than scientists had previously estimated (MIT press release). The short video above captures this “cloud” using high speed imaging. This research could help improve infection control in hospitals, workplaces, airplanes and other environments.