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CBS Reports on Flu Epidemic With Expert Advice From St. Joseph's
A major flu outbreak is affecting nearly the entire country, at least 20 children have died and 47 states are reporting widespread cases of the flu. The flu is hitting densely packed urban areas like New York City particularly hard. Centers for Disease control are urging people who have not yet received the flu vaccine to get it saying it's not too late. Usually a curse mid-winter, this year the flu struck more than a month early. 24 states are experiencing high influenza-like illness.
"All of a sudden, out of nowhere, we started seeing up to 50/60 cases of flu a day," Dr. Mark Rosenberg is in charge of the Emergency Room at St. Joseph's in Paterson NJ. "The flu kicks you in the butt, it makes you weak. Any medical problem you have on top of that is going to be exacerbated because you have the flu."
In severe cases antiviral drugs can help you lessen symptoms. The CDC says the best prevention is the flu vaccine with nearly 130 million doses of it having been distributed. The CDC says the flu vaccine is effective in 62% of cases. Flu-like symptoms don't always mean that you have the flu. Hospitals are encouraging patients to see their own doctors or go to urgent care facilities before flooding emergency rooms. There are signs that the flu may be peaking in some states. For most of us the flu season is 12 weeks long and we are about halfway through.
