flu

Reporter and parent Selena Simmons Duffin checked with infectious disease experts to learn how strategies from the coronavirus pandemic can be adapted to help parents keep their little ones and the whole family from sharing cold and flu viruses.

Health & Safety

Your kids are adorable germ vectors. Here's how often they get your household sick

5:33pm January 26, 2023

by Maria Godoy

After months of COVID, flu and RSV infections, parents of little kids are kinda losing it. But the data shows kids have always brought home waves of respiratory illness.

From left: 1) Colored scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a human cell infected with H3N2 flu virus (gold filamentous particles). 2) Scanning electron micrograph of human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) virions (colorized blue) that are shedding from the surface of human lung epithelial cells. 3) Transmission electron micrograph of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron virus particles (gold).

Health & Safety

Experts are concerned Thanksgiving gatherings could accelerate a 'tripledemic'

11:07am November 22, 2022

by Rob Stein

As the holiday approaches, infectious disease specialists are bracing for the possibility that big family get-togethers and travel will propel the spread of RSV, flu and COVID-19.

NCDHHS Secretary to get flu and COVID-19 booster shots

10:55am November 09, 2022

by Neal Charnoff

The head of North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services has announced his own plans to get both an annual flu shot and an updated COVID-19 booster on Thursday.

Health & Safety

State officials urge flu shots before peak winter season

10:37am October 11, 2022

by Neal Charnoff

North Carolina health experts are urging residents to get a flu shot in anticipation of a winter spike in cases.

Waterfowl and the raptors that dine on them, like this bald eagle and snow goose, have both been killed by the new bird flu virus.

A worrisome new bird flu is spreading in American birds and may be here to stay

3:09pm April 09, 2022

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Scientists are tracking a deadly bird flu outbreak that has infected wild birds in more than 30 states. Purging the nation's poultry supply may not be enough to keep the virus from sticking around.

Queue Listen Now

Wash your hands. A lot. That's the message from public health specialists as cold and flu season arrives.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQ: It's cold and flu season — and COVID season! How do I stay unsick?

4:28pm November 05, 2021

by Sheila Mulrooney Eldred

Last winter the number of flu cases was pretty low — likely a result of COVID precautions people were taking. Does that mean we have fewer antibodies — and a greater risk of catching something now?

Wake Forest Baptist Receives Grant To Study Flu Vaccine For Newborns

3:55pm November 10, 2020

by Bethany Chafin

Wake Forest Baptist scientists have received a $2.9 million grant to help develop a flu vaccine for newborns. The funding comes from the National Institutes of Health.

Health & Safety

Triad Hospital Executives Reflect On Pandemic And Prepare For The Fall

4:15pm September 23, 2020

by Bethany Chafin

Local hospital administrators are gearing up to fight both COVID-19 and the flu this fall, and are emphasizing the importance of telehealth.

People wait for a flu vaccine in May in Manaus, Brazil. The flu season had a surprisingly low count of influenza cases in the Southern Hemisphere, and researchers are trying to figure out the role coronavirus precautions might have played.

From Southern Hemisphere, Hints That U.S. May Be Spared Flu On Top Of COVID-19

7:11pm August 26, 2020

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

So far this year, flu infections are way down in the Southern Hemisphere. Scientists want to know why — and what it means for the Northern Hemisphere as their flu season looms.

Vaccine-makers are readying 190 million doses of the flu vaccine for deployment across the U.S. this fall — 20 million more doses than in a typical year. A nasal spray version will be available, as well as shots.

2020 Flu Shot Strategy: Get Yours Early In The Season

10:00am August 04, 2020

by Fran Kritz

With the flu season looming, public health officials urge nearly all Americans over 6 months old to get immunized starting next month. Strategize now to avoid getting the flu while COVID-19 is raging.