Flu tips to get you through a dangerous season
Randy Bergen
âWeâre seeing the worst of it right now â said  Randy Bergen  a pediatrician who is leading the anti-flu effort for Kaiser Permanente Northern California . âWeâre really in historic territory  and I just donât know when itâs going to stop.â
The influenza A subtype H3N2 that appears to be most prevalent this year is particularly nasty  with more-severe symptoms including fever and body aches. Australia â whose experience U.S. public health officials follow closely in making their flu forecasts  in part because Australiaâs winter is our summer â reported a record-high number of confirmed flu cases in 2017. Another influenza B virus subtype also is circulating  âand thatâs no fun  either â  Bergen  said.
âSome protection is better than no protection â  Bergen  said  âbut itâs certainly disappointing to have a vaccine thatâs just not as effective as weâd like it to be.â
If you are sick  cover your cough and stay home from work if you can   Bergen  said. Remaining hydrated  eating nutritious foods and exercising can also help strengthen your immune system.
The hallmarks of flu are fever and body aches that accompany cough and congestion   Bergen  said.
Kaiser Permanente doctors are now being advised to prescribe antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu â given as a pill or  for children  an oral suspension â even without a lab test for influenza   Bergen  said. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times  however  Tamiflu supplies are running low.
And  Bergen  cautioned that these medications are only partly effective  reducing the length of illness by just a day or two.
âWeâre seeing the worst of it right now â said   [TGT]  . âWeâre really in historic territory  and I just donât know when itâs going to stop.â
The influenza A subtype H3N2 that appears to be most prevalent this year is particularly nasty  with more-severe symptoms including fever and body aches. Australia â whose experience U.S. public health officials follow closely in making their flu forecasts  in part because Australiaâs winter is our summer â reported a record-high number of confirmed flu cases in 2017. Another influenza B virus subtype also is circulating  âand thatâs no fun  either â   [TGT] said.
âSome protection is better than no protection â   [TGT] said  âbut itâs certainly disappointing to have a vaccine thatâs just not as effective as weâd like it to be.â
If you are sick  cover your cough and stay home from work if you can    [TGT] said. Remaining hydrated  eating nutritious foods and exercising can also help strengthen your immune system.
The hallmarks of flu are fever and body aches that accompany cough and congestion    [TGT] said.
Kaiser Permanente doctors are now being advised to prescribe antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu â given as a pill or  for children  an oral suspension â even without a lab test for influenza    [TGT] said. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times  however  Tamiflu supplies are running low.
And   [TGT] cautioned that these medications are only partly effective  reducing the length of illness by just a day or two.