COVID is still killing more than 1,000 Americans a week; long COVID causes prolonged misery; and a new, more transmissible subvariant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is spreading.
flu
Flu season is here. With COVID-19 still wreaking havoc in certain parts of the US, getting a flu shot is more important this year than ever before.
At the current time, influenza remains the far bigger threat to global public health than COVID-19. Though COVID-19 has a higher case-fatality rate, influenza infects far more people. Of course, that could change.
A new NBC News story warns us about the dangers of this year's flu. Although trite, the warning is at least reasonable. Until it isn't. Just another lame headline. Good for a scare and nothing else.
Do you want grandma to keep baking cookies? Well, she won't anymore if she dies from the flu. So go get your shot when the next flu season rolls around in October.
Many Americans hold beliefs about the flu vaccine that are at odds with the best available scientific evidence. For example, a recent study found that 43 percent of Americans believe that the seasonal flu vaccine can give us the flu. Scientific research strongly suggests that this is not true. Because most modern flu shots do not contain a live virus, the shot itself simply cannot get us sick.
New research from The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego found that protective IgG antibodies, one of five major classes of antibodies, may not be the most important ones when it comes to fighting off a flu infection. This insight may help make future flu vaccines and other treatments much more effective.
This flu season, one product is making its comeback: orange juice. Sales of OJ seem to have gotten a boost — after years of decline — due to consumers' fears of getting the dreaded illness.
But is dosing yourself with high amounts of Vitamin C warranted for this year's flu from hell?
It may be the height of the flu season but diagnosing flu remains a challenge for physicians.
Flu season most often peaks in February. Buckle up, says the little rodent from Punxsutawney.
Evidence indicates that dogs can become infected with human-adapted influenza strains, making this incredibly concerning. When two different influenza strains infect the same host, the viruses can swap genes, a process known as genetic reassortment. This can produce devastating influenza pandemics.
This flu season is bad. Look no further than the Golden State, where emergency departments are overflowing with flu patients and the number of cases and deaths are already much higher than the 2016-17 flu season. And worse, it's very likely that many other states will be hit with the same crisis.