An outbreak of H7N9 avian (bird) flu was reported March 17 in Mississippi, USA. This variety of bird influenza has not been seen in the US since 2017. [1] According to the World Health Organization (WHO), humans who have gotten this virus in the past have become severely ill. Since 2013, 1568 people have been infected in China, with 616 of them dying of...
Read More
If you had the flu in 2017, you know what the influenza A H3N2 virus feels like. Australia had a bad round of H3N2 flu this year and often the Northern Hemisphere follows the same trend. What to do? Get the flu shot! So many people say that they get the flu shot but still get the flu. It is true that the vaccine has only a 40 to 60 percent effectiveness...
Read More
I may be a little late in getting one, but I’m going to get the flu vaccine this year. In the US, it is recommended that you get the flu vaccine in October. That gives you time–two weeks–to build immunity to the flu before the “flu season” hits. One reason to get the vaccine is to help protect other people from influenza. This...
Read More
Having just experienced the influenza virus, I can vouch for its intensity. For over nine days I have had fever, cough, body aches, chills, headache and fatigue. When I finally went to my physician, my blood oxygen levels were below normal. And I’m still trying to clear my brain from the “peach fuzz.” The influenza virus is...
Read More
Tissue Alert It’s cold and flu season! Your nose is running and the tissues are piling up. Did you know that the mucus from your nose, also called snot, can tell you about what’s going on with your body? It’s true. Take a look at this infographic explaining mucus by the folks at Cleveland Clinic. Explaining Nose...
Read More
