The Flu is Here! What Can You Do?

Take time to get a flu vaccine.

• CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against influenza and its potentially serious complications.
• Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations.
• Flu vaccination also has been shown to significantly reduce a child’s risk of dying from influenza. There are data to suggest that even if someone gets sick after vaccination, their illness may be milder.
• Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine every year before flu activity begins in their community. CDC recommends getting vaccinated by the end of October.
• For the 2018-2019 flu season, CDC and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommend annual influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months and older with any licensed, age-appropriate flu vaccine (inactivated, recombinant or nasal spray flu vaccines) with no preference expressed for anyone vaccine over another.
• Vaccination of high-risk persons is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness. People at high risk of serious flu complications include young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease and people 65 years and older.
• Vaccination also is important for health care workers, and other people who live with or care for high-risk people to keep from spreading flu to them.
• Infants younger than 6 months are at high risk of serious flu illness, but are too young to be vaccinated. Studies have shown that flu vaccination of the mother during pregnancy can protect the baby after birth from flu infection for several months. People who live with or care for infants should be vaccinated.

Take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs.

• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
• If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. After using a tissue, throw it in the trash and wash your hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like flu.

Take flu antiviral drugs if your doctor prescribes them.

• If you get sick with flu, antiviral drugs can be used to treat your illness.
• Antiviral drugs are different from antibiotics. They are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaled powder) and are not available over-the-counter.
• Antiviral drugs can make illness milder and shorten the time you are sick. They may also prevent serious flu complications.
• CDC recommends prompt antiviral treatment of people who are severely ill and people who are at high risk of serious flu complications who develop flu symptoms.
• For people with high-risk factors, treatment with an antiviral drug can mean the difference between having a milder illness versus a very serious illness that could result in a hospital stay.
• Studies show that flu antiviral drugs work best for treatment when they are started within 48 hours of getting sick, but starting them later can still be helpful, especially if the sick person has a high-risk health condition or is very sick from flu. Follow your doctor’s instructions for taking this drug.
• Flu-like symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people, especially children, may have vomiting and diarrhea. People may also be infected with flu and have respiratory symptoms without a fever.

Check out this helpful video from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Study: Flu May be Spread Just by Breathing

It is easier to spread the influenza virus than previously thought, according to a new University of Maryland-led study. People commonly believe that they can catch the flu by exposure to droplets from an infected person’s coughs or sneezes or by touching contaminated surfaces. But, new information about flu transmission reveals that we may pass the flu to others just by breathing.

The study “Infectious virus in exhaled breath of symptomatic seasonal influenza cases from a college community,” published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides new evidence for the potential importance of airborne transmission because of the large quantities of infectious virus researchers found in the exhaled breath from people suffering from flu.

“We found that flu cases contaminated the air around them with infectious virus just by breathing, without coughing or sneezing,” explained Dr. Milton, M.D., MPH, professor of environmental health in the University of Maryland School of Public Health and lead researcher of this study. “People with flu generate infectious aerosols (tiny droplets that stay suspended in the air for a long time) even when they are not coughing, and especially during the first days of illness. So when someone is coming down with influenza, they should go home and not remain in the workplace and infect others.”

Researchers from the University of Maryland, San Jose State University, Missouri Western State University and University of California, Berkeley contributed to this study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Milton and his research team captured and characterized influenza virus in exhaled breath from 142 confirmed cases of people with influenza during natural breathing, prompted speech, spontaneous coughing, and sneezing, and assessed the infectivity of naturally occurring influenza aerosols. The participants provided 218 nasopharyngeal swabs and 218 30-minute samples of exhaled breath, spontaneous coughing, and sneezing on the first, second, and third days after the onset of symptoms.

The analysis of the infectious virus recovered from these samples showed that a significant number of flu patients routinely shed infectious virus, not merely detectable RNA, into aerosol particles small enough to present a risk for airborne transmission.

Surprisingly, 11 (48 percent) of the 23 fine aerosol samples acquired in the absence of coughing had detectable viral RNA and 8 of these 11 contained infectious virus, suggesting that coughing was not necessary for infectious aerosol generation in the fine aerosol droplets. In addition, the few sneezes observed were not associated with greater viral RNA copy numbers in either coarse or fine aerosols, suggesting that sneezing does not make an important contribution to influenza virus shedding in aerosols.

“The study findings suggest that keeping surfaces clean, washing our hands all the time, and avoiding people who are coughing does not provide complete protection from getting the flu,” said Sheryl Ehrman, Don Beall Dean of the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering at San José State University. “Staying home and out of public spaces could make a difference in the spread of the influenza virus.”

According to the authors, the findings could be used to improve mathematical models of the risk of airborne influenza transmission from people with symptomatic illness and to develop more effective public health interventions and to control and reduce the impact of influenza epidemics and pandemics. Improvements could be made to ventilation systems to reduce transmission risk in offices, school classrooms and subway cars, for example. Meanwhile, we can all heed the advice to stay home, if possible, when we are beginning to get sick to prevent even greater numbers of flu cases. And, get vaccinated — it is not perfect but does prevent a significant amount of severe illness.

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Learn more about Dr. Milton’s Public Health Aerobiology, Virology, and Exhaled Biomarker (PHAB) Laboratory in the University of Maryland School of Public Health: https://sph.umd.edu/phablab

About the University of Maryland School of Public Health: The UMD School of Public Health is a dynamic and growing school located at one of the nation’s top-ranked public research universities. Established in 2007 and accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health, our school offers 25-degree programs for undergraduate and graduate study. We are committed to promoting and protecting the health and well-being of the diverse communities throughout Maryland and beyond. Grounded in the philosophy that health starts where we live, learn, work and play, we partner with communities and apply research to promote health, advance health equity and create policies that will enhance health across the lifespan. Visit: sph.umd.edu

Flu Outbreak Causes State of Public Health Emergency

An outbreak of the influenza virus has prompted Gov. Kay Ivey to issue a “State Public Health Emergency” for the state of Alabama.

The virus poses a high threat of widespread exposure to an infectious agent that poses a risk of substantial harm to a large number of people, according to the proclamation issued by the office of Gov. Kay Ivey.

The proclamation gives health care facilities permission to provide care through emergency operation plans that adhere to “alternative standards of care” in response to the influenza outbreak.

Alabama hospitals have reached maximum capacity with patients with flu-like symptoms and other respiratory illnesses, and wait times have increased for non-emergency care, according to the flu alert advisory issued by the Baptist Health System.

Baptist Health in Montgomery is asking those with flu-like symptoms with no signs of serious illness to first see their medical doctor or an urgent care before coming to the emergency room. Alabama hospitals are also advising against anyone with flu-like symptoms visiting hospital patients.

The Alabama Department of Public Health’s weekly influenza Surveillance Map reports the fourth week of a flu outbreak that is increasing. While this is not a flu epidemic, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health, it is a major seasonal flu situation.

The 2018 flu season is expected to be one of the worst in years with cases reported in 46 states.

To combat the flu, the ADPH is urging the public to follow the 10 “Fight the Flu” actions. These include:

1. Get Vaccinated
2. Wash Your Hands
3. Cover Your Coughs and Sneezes
4. Stay Home With Fever
5. Stockpile Supplies
6. Clean and Disinfect
7. Know Your Office Emergency Plan
8. Learn Home Care
9. Call Your Doctor if Symptoms Get Worse
10. Stay Informed

Read Gov. Ivey’s declaration

Alabama Experiences Significant Influenza Activity this Season

Influenza activity levels are increasing across the State of Alabama. Several positive influenza specimens in northern Alabama have been identified in the previous three weeks. While the flu season is just getting started in much of the country, activity is already high in Alabama. Flu is a very contagious respiratory illness. Some of the symptoms of influenza include fever, cough, sore throat, runny/stuffy nose, headache, muscle aches and extreme fatigue.

“Increased numbers of providers who report influenza-like illness and send influenza samples for testing to public health suggest an indication of a geographic spread of influenza in Alabama,” said Dr. Karen Landers, District Medical Officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health. “This is concerning because influenza can be a serious disease for anyone, even children, pregnant women and previously healthy young adults.”

An annual influenza vaccination is recommended for everyone age 6 months and older and is the best prevention against getting the flu. Physicians, pharmacists and county health departments can provide flu vaccinations for Alabamians.

In addition to taking the flu vaccine, other measures can reduce or prevent the spread of influenza. These include staying at home when sick, covering the mouth and nose with a tissue/cloth when coughing or sneezing, and washing hands or using hand sanitizer frequently.

“Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. It’s not too late to get a flu shot to protect against this serious disease. People become protected about two weeks after receiving the vaccine,” said Dr. Landers.

Contact your physician, pharmacy or local county health department to receive an influenza vaccination. For more information about the flu visit http://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/immunization/index.html, and to save money on your flu medicine visit AlabamaRxCard.com.