The flu season has reportedly affected the elderly hard as the numbers hospitalized have increased sharply.
The flu season usually peaks in the January and February months but regardless, "it's shaping up to be a worse-than-average season," said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Thomas Friedson, who noted it is a bad one for the elderly.
According to TIME, half of the confirmed flu cases are people ages 65 and older.
"We expect to see both the number and the rates of both hospitalizations and deaths rise further in the next week or so as the flu epidemic progresses," added Friedson.
In a weekly update on of the "Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report" prepared by the Influenza Division, 48 states are now reporting "widespread" flu activity, and increase of one state from last week. The two states not in the "widespread" category are Hawaii and Tennessee, which a categorizing their flu activities as "regional."
Washington D.C. is reporting their flu cases as "local."
According to Flu.gov, several measures can be done to help protect people from catching the flu, but is no substitution to receiving a flu vaccination:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- Practice good health habits. Get plenty of sleep and exercise, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat healthy food.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine.
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