What Infectious Disease Doctors Want You to Know About the Flu Right Now

• Respiratory virus cases in the US are at a 25-year high

• Flu cases are caused by a new variant.

• Here’s what doctors want you to know about the flu right now.

As predicted, the USA is facing an intense crisis. flu season. According to data shared by , flu cases have skyrocketed in the past few weeks as the country faces the highest level of respiratory disease in 25 years. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (HCM).

According to the latest data, approximately 33% of clinical laboratory tests were positive for influenza. Hospitalization rates and outpatient doctor visits due to the virus have also increased. We checked in with doctors to find out what they want the public to know about flu right now.

Meet the experts: Amesh A. Adalja, MDinfectious diseases expert and senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; Thomas Russo, M.D. professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York; William Schaffner, M.D. infectious diseases specialist and professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; Asefeh Faraz Covelli, Ph.D.Associate professor at George Washington University School of Nursing

Unfortunately, the CDC’s latest report indicates that things will likely get worse before they get better. Public health officials predicted a difficult post-pandemic flu season England and other countries had different experiences with the flu earlier this year. All of these cases are caused by a known strain of influenza. subclass K.

Subclade K is a form of influenza A H3N2. According to the research, this variant mutated seven times over the summer, creating a more contagious version of the flu. Thomas Russo, M.D. He is a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York. “Subclade K largely evades previous immunity,” he says. This means that the immunity you may have built up from the flu vaccine or from having had flu strains before is less effective against subclass K than it might be against other flu strains.

The rates of people getting the flu vaccine have also fallen, meaning there’s an even larger group of people who are more vulnerable to getting sick and spreading the disease, says Dr. Russo. Here’s what doctors want you to know to stay safe right now.

This form of the flu is notorious for being harsh.

There are different types of flu, but flu A and flu B Dr. These are what fuel infections in humans, Russo says. While both strains circulate each year, it is influenza A that usually causes major epidemics.

Unfortunately Dr. Flu A also tends to be particularly intense, Russo says. Still, he points out that “the flu should always be taken quite seriously.”

You won’t necessarily have different symptoms with subclass K, but Dr. Russo says he’s noticed more people experiencing intense flu this season.

If you need a refresher on flu symptoms, HKM marks these as the most common:

• Fever or feeling feverish

• Vomiting and diarrhea (although this is less common)

The vaccine is still worth your time

As we mentioned above, subclade K has several mutations that make it more contagious and better able to evade the immunity you generate. This means the flu vaccine may be less effective at preventing infection than in the past.

Accordingly data The flu vaccine, shared by the British government, is 30% to 40% effective in preventing flu-related emergency room visits in adults and up to 70% effective in keeping children out of the emergency room. This sounds unpleasant, and it’s not ideal, but doctors say it’s still worth getting a flu shot if you haven’t already.

“Even if the flu vaccine does not provide high levels of protection against infection, it is still effective at preventing what matters most: serious illness,” he says. Amesh A. Adalja, MDInfectious diseases expert and senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

“Flu is a serious disease. It can take even normal, healthy people and send them to the emergency room,” he says. William Schaffner, M.D. Infectious diseases specialist and professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “It’s late to get vaccinated, but it’s not too late.”

There are treatment options, but timing is important

There are two approved antiviral treatments for flu: oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza). Although you can technically take these at any point in your illness, they work best when you start using them soon after your symptoms develop.

“Flu treatments (antivirals) can shorten the duration of the illness and prevent serious complications caused by flu,” he says Asefeh Faraz Covelli, Ph.D.Associate professor at George Washington University School of Nursing. (In a perfect world, he says, you’d receive them within 48 hours of your symptoms starting.)

Testing is very important

If you develop flu symptoms, which tend to come on quickly, Dr. Russo recommends at-home testing for flu COVID-19. (Although home flu tests are less well-known than at-home COVID tests, there are a number of tests available on the market.) But if you only have a home COVID test, you can do so to rule out the virus in question.

After you receive your results, call your healthcare provider for next steps.

They’ve seen worse

There’s a lot of talk floating around about how bad this flu season is, and doctors agree that cases are high. However, Dr. Adalja points out that worse has been seen. “This is not the worst season in terms of hospitalizations,” he says.

Finally, do the best you can when it comes to protecting against the flu (like masking and hand washing) and call your doctor if you develop symptoms.

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