Submitted by the American Medical Association on January 2, 2018.  The CDC is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

NBC Nightly News (12/30 ) reported on Saturday that “the CDC says this flu season is already shaping up to be a lot worse than last [season’s], with widespread flu activity now being reported in dozens of states.”

NBC Nightly News reported that flu is widespread in 36 states, according to the CDC.  This is more states than last year (24.)

Modern Healthcare (12/29) reported the CDC issued an alert warning health care professionals of an uptick in cases caused by the H3N2 strain of the flu virus, “which is usually associated with a higher number of hospital admissions and flu-related deaths.”

BLOGFINGER MEDICAL COMMENTARY:  By Paul Goldfinger, MD

Influenza is hitting the US very hard this season;  it is especially bad in the south, except for Florida where the snowbirds complain about 60 degree temperatures.

The CDC says that it will peak towards the end of January, and senior citizens are at the greatest risk of acquiring influenza and for getting very sick from it, including an increased mortality and hospitalization risk.  The currently most active strain, H3N2 is also the most deadly.

“If you haven’t gotten a flu shot yet,” Schaffner said, “run, don’t walk, and get yourself vaccinated. It can take up to 10 days for the vaccine’s full effects to kick in.”  (This quote is from an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.)

The symptoms of influenza are usually worse than with the common cold including high fever  (which may be absent,) hacking cough (which may be dry,) tightness in the chest with shortness of breath, shaking chills, marked fatigue and headache.  Complications include sinus and ear infections, pneumonia, and aggravation of asthma.

We used to gear up for the yearly peak of influenza around this time, when our hospital and ER would be swamped with patients.  It was the only time of year when we expected to have beds filled in the hallways. Stay out of the hospital if you possibly can.

Avoid crowds, avoid children or adults with respiratory infections, and wash hands often  (pick up some antibacterial liquid soap such as Dial.)   If you get sick, make sure you stay hydrated with electrolyte solutions such as Gatorade.  Chicken soup made with vegetables has medicinal value as long as a Jewish doctor suggests it.

And, if you think you have the flu, call your doctor to see if he wants to order an anti-viral medication such as Tamiflu, but do that as soon as symptoms appear.

Good luck staying out of trouble with this situation.