The Battle is Won (for most of us)

Over the past few weeks a seasonal flu has affected most of the US.

The flu this season didn’t really become widespread until January, but has “Continued to increase in January and through the week ending February 16,” according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The good news is that the flu should be on its way out.  The CDC says that “influenza activity decreased slightly” during the week of February 23, for the first time since early December.   The number of absent kids at EMHS after February 23 follows this slight decrease, and now in March the number of absentees has fallen to less than 10 for the first time since January. 

While this year’s seasonal flu “Is not a particularly bad strain this year [in terms of symptoms and number of deaths],” said Frank Stellar, local MD, "flu shots have been less effective against fighting it." 

The problem is, this year’s flu shot has only been about 40% effective in preventing the flu, compared to last year's 90% effectiveness.  The reason for this is primarily because many strains of flu virus were not the strains which scientists predicted would be dominant this year.  The vaccine used in flu shots was only closely matched with one of the two types of influenza strains which infected most people this year.

If you’re wondering whether or not you have the flu, remember that a sore throat, headache, runny nose, and a fever are the most common symptoms of the flu.  If you recognize the flu early enough, certain medication can help you get over it in significantly less time than the normal 3-5 days. 

If you think you have the flu it's better to be safe than sorry, check with a doctor and stay away from school.  Influenza goes hand in hand with many bacterial infections, and the number of staphylococcus aureus co-infections has risen significantly in the past few years. 

To make sure that the flu doesn’t kick back up again, the CDC says that washing hands regularly, covering your mouth with tissues when you sneeze or cough, and staying home when you’re sick are the most important actions you can take to prevent the spread of germs. 

February	Number of kids out of school at EMHS
1	22
5	14
6	19
7	22.5
8	24.5
11	28
12	25
13	22.5
14	13
15	25.5
18	27.5
19	23.5
20	26.5
21	15.5
25	21.5
26	20
27	16
28	15.5
March
3	9

- Eric Broderson