This Year’s Flu Is A Quirky, Vicious, Misbehaving Strain That Health Professionals Hate
A particularly nasty strain of the flu is sweeping through California--flooding emergency rooms, draining medication resources, and racking up a higher-than-normal death toll. But it's still not too late to get a flu shot.
Stat:
‘The Problem Child Of Seasonal Flu’: Beware This Winter’s Virus
People in public health hate H3N2 flu seasons, like the one gripping most of North America right now. So do folks who work in hospitals and in the care facilities that look after the elderly. To put it flatly, H3N2 is the problem child of seasonal flu.It causes more deaths than the other influenza A virus, H1N1, as well as flu B viruses. It’s a quirky virus that seems, at every turn, to misbehave and make life miserable for the people who contract it, the scientists trying to keep an eye on it, and the drug companies struggling to produce an effective vaccine against it. (Branswell, 1/8)
Los Angeles Times:
Severe Flu Brings Medicine Shortages, Packed ERs And A Rising Death Toll In California
So many people have fallen sick with influenza in California that pharmacies have run out of flu medicines, emergency rooms are packed, and the death toll is rising higher than in previous years. Health officials said Friday that 27 people younger than 65 have died of the flu in California since October, compared with three at the same time last year. Nationwide and in California, flu activity spiked sharply in late December and continues to grow. (Karlamangla, 1/6)
Los Angeles Times:
No, It's Not Too Late To Get A Flu Shot
Is it too late to get a flu shot? We know you've been busy making plans for the holidays, scrambling to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list, spending time in airports and on road trips to see family and friends. But the holiday season is over and it's time to get back to reality. The flu season is most certainly upon us. And you need to deal with it. (Kaplan, 1/5)
Los Angeles Times:
In This Deadly Flu Season, Here Are Tips On How To Protect Yourself
California is in the midst of a dangerous flu season. Health officials said Friday that 27 people younger than 65 have died of the flu in California since October, compared with three during the same time period last year. Nationwide, flu activity spiked sharply in late December and continues to grow. Here is some key information, including tips to stay healthy, from national, state and local health agencies (1/6)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Diego's Nursing Homes Taking Steps To Protect Against Flu
The spike in flu activity that is sweeping across the county at an alarming rate is forcing many of the region’s nursing homes, assisted living centers and residential rehab centers into lockdown mode as the best way to protect their medically vulnerable residents. That was the case at Poway’s Villa Pomerado Convalescent Care Center from Dec. 27 through Friday after testing confirmed that four of the facility’s 92 residents tested positive for influenza. (Sisson, 1/6)
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Flu Activity Ramping Up In Sonoma County, Widespread In State
This flu season is shaping up to be a really bad one, equal to or worse than the last one and driven by a viral strain that genetically altered after the latest vaccine in use was developed, local health officials said. The flu is widespread throughout the state, health authorities said this week, and the number of cases is very high. In Sonoma County, flu incidence is moderate but rising quickly. (Espinoza, 1/5)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Hard-Hitting Flu Dwindling Local Supply Of Antiviral Medications, Overwhelming Physicians
Ten people in California have died so far this winter from influenza, evidence that health professionals' warnings are valid: this flu is hitting harder and earlier than it has in years. The virus has hospitalized scores of people, leaving the state to contend with widespread outbreaks and, locally, a dwindling supply of antiviral medications. Health providers say they are experiencing some of the busiest emergency departments they’ve seen in a long time — something they attribute to an early flu season, a less-effective vaccine and poor local air quality that exacerbates symptoms. (Pierce, 1/5)