influenza

Early symptoms of COVID-19 are much the same as those of the flu or a cold. Don't panic. Call your doctor to check in, if you're worried, but treating mild or moderate symptoms at home until you're well will protect you and help stop the spread of whateve

You Have A Fever And A Dry Cough. Now What?

2:16pm March 11, 2020

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Whether your mild or moderate symptoms mean you have a cold, the flu, or COVID-19 doesn't change the medical advice right now. Stay home, rest, and call or email your doctor if symptoms worsen.

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Pharmacist Raphael Lynne gives a flu shot in Miami in 2018. This year's vaccination against influenza has been reducing infections by "about 40 to 50 percent," says Emily Martin, an epidemiologist with the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

U.S. Flu Season Beginning To Ease, Modelers Say

6:05pm March 09, 2020

by Joe Palca

Though COVID-19 has captured the headlines, influenza places a huge burden on the health care system. This year's flu shot provides good protection, the CDC says, so do get one if you haven't already.

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Health & Safety

NC Division Of Public Health: Don't Forget The Flu

4:25pm March 06, 2020

by David Ford

With news of the coronavirus flooding the airwaves, less mentioned are seasonal illnesses like flu. During the week ending February 29, the flu claimed the lives of 11 North Carolinians.

Most efforts to develop a universal flu vaccine have focused on the lollipop-shaped hemagglutinin protein (pink in this illustration of a flu virus).

Health & Safety

Researchers Step Up Efforts To Develop A 'Universal' Flu Vaccine

8:51am February 27, 2020

by Shahla Farzan

Scientists are pushing hard to find a more effective way to prevent nearly all seasonal flu strains with one shot. For starters, they're paying volunteers to spend a 10-day stint in "Hotel Influenza."

A spoonful of honey makes the medicine...irrelevant. That's because honey works better than cough syrups to help with kids' coughs.

For Kid's Coughs, Swap The Over-The-Counter Syrups For Honey

9:28am February 08, 2020

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

For parents desperate to calm a kid's hacking cough, so the whole family can get some sleep, turns out there's evidence that a common kitchen ingredient works better than OTC medicine.

Making sure to frequently give your hands a thorough scrub — with soap and for about as long as it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song a couple of times — can significantly cut your chances of catching the flu or other respiratory virus.

Worried About Catching The New Coronavirus? In The U.S., Flu Is A Bigger Threat

8:02pm January 29, 2020

by Allison Aubrey

At least 8,000 people have died from the flu in the U.S. this season. The good news: Easy steps you can take now to protect against the flu may also help you steer clear of the new coronavirus.

Daily News

Area Hospitals Imposing Visitor Restrictions

7:13am January 08, 2020

by April Laissle

Regional health care systems are implementing temporary hospital visitor restrictions due to a rise in flu cases in the region.

It's still pretty early in the flu season, but some states, including Texas and North Carolina, are already reporting the first influenza deaths, including at least 10 children. Most kids each year who die from the flu had not been vaccinated.

Health & Safety

Do You Really Need A Flu Shot? Here's How To Decide

5:46pm December 20, 2019

by Tara Haelle

The internet abounds with myths about the relative risks of flu and flu shots, maybe partly because it's an annual shot and nobody likes needles. Here's the latest on what you might need — and why.

Being overweight or obese can diminish the effectiveness of a flu shot, researchers say.

Excess Weight Can Weaken The Flu Shot

2:34pm November 24, 2019

by Richard Harris

Scientists have come to realize that flu vaccines are less effective for people who are overweight or obese. Now researchers are trying to figure out why and hope to develop better vaccines.

Though complications from the flu can be deadly for people who are especially vulnerable, including pregnant women and their newborns, typically only about half of pregnant women get the needed vaccination, U.S. statistics show.

Get Your Flu Shot Now, Doctors Advise, Especially If You're Pregnant

7:27am October 21, 2019

by Patti Neighmond

Pregnant women and people with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease are particularly vulnerable to flu complications yet lag the elderly in getting vaccinated.

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