Everywhere in the web (and in day-to-day conversations), individuals who just lately had (or at the moment have) the flu are saying their symptoms are worse than earlier flu seasons — extra congestion, worse physique aches, chills that linger for days.
“What’s with the flu going round this yr? why does it really feel 10x worse and final for almost 2 complete weeks?!” one person wrote on Threads. Another person posted on Instagram that she has “by no means skilled something like that in my life.”
It sounds fairly scary, and this actually is a scarier flu season.
According to Centers for Disease Control data, there have been at the very least 15 million circumstances of flu this season to date. In the identical timeframe final yr, the U.S. experienced 9.1 million flu cases.
With a lot of flu circulating, do it’s good to fear about extra extreme signs, too? Right here’s what docs say.
This yr’s flu signs are largely much like ‘common’ flu signs.
“Yearly, we will see totally different flu manifestations,” mentioned Dr. Buddy Creech, a professor of pediatric infectious ailments at Vanderbilt College College of Drugs in Nashville. “Some years are extra related to easy fever and chills. Generally we see extra GI sicknesses, particularly in kids, however this yr, what we’re seeing is basic influenza — the fever, chills, muscle aches and respiratory signs which are widespread to influenza.”
That mentioned, this flu season does have the makings of a “worse” flu season, total, mentioned Dr. Steven Lawrence, a professor of drugs within the division of infectious ailments at WashU Drugs in St. Louis.
“On the whole, a flu season as a season goes to be worse when the influenza A is dominant as an alternative of [influenza] B, which is sort of all flu seasons,” together with this one, Lawrence mentioned.
“Then, inside flu A, the subtype H3N2 is mostly a season that’s extra extreme,” Lawrence mentioned, including that H3N2 is the dominant flu pressure this season.
However when calling a flu season “worse” or “extra extreme,” specialists aren’t referring to signs like physique aches or a hacking cough. As an alternative, they take a look at the numbers that come from the CDC knowledge (hospitalizations, outpatient visits, deaths), Lawrence defined.
It’s too early to inform if hospitalizations and deaths will surpass earlier flu seasons, however there are at the moment plenty of flu circumstances in emergency departments.
“There’s nothing to counsel, although, that this yr is especially worse so far as signs go, or longer so far as length goes,” Lawrence mentioned.
There are a number of points that will trigger extra extreme sickness in some folks.
Medical doctors say there are components that may impression simply how extreme (or not extreme) a flu an infection is.
“There are actually going to be individuals who have totally different signs based mostly on whether or not they’ve been vaccinated, or how just lately they’ve been vaccinated,” Creech mentioned.
Whereas the vaccine wasn’t an ideal match in opposition to H3N2, it “nonetheless confirmed a discount within the severity of the sickness,” mentioned Dr. Nesreen Hermes, the medical director of Hermes Health in Illinois.
Those that get the flu vaccine typically have much less extreme signs and a shorter size of sickness than those that don’t.
“I’m not going to be stunned if there are extra studies of extra critical infections this yr as a result of fewer folks this yr, it appears, are making the most of vaccination,” Creech mentioned. “That’s why we encourage folks, particularly these with high-risk circumstances, however actually, everybody over the age of six months, to benefit from the safety {that a} vaccine can afford.”
Your flu shot might not preserve you from getting the flu, and that’s OK. As soon as once more, it could possibly scale back the severity of flu signs and preserve you from ending up within the hospital or dying.
“We typically get breakthrough infections, like I did final yr, and regardless that my sickness was shorter than it will have been, it was nonetheless no stroll within the park,” Creech defined.
Those that had a latest case, like Creech, even have further safety. A earlier an infection, Creech mentioned, may also fortify flu safety sooner or later — identical to a latest COVID-19 an infection bolsters your safety in opposition to COVID-19.
The flu’s prevalence within the information and in day by day dialog additionally performs a task on this notion.
Recency bias might also be enjoying a task in perceived flu severity, in response to Lawrence. No matter virus you will have most just lately typically feels just like the worst one.
Our perceptions are additionally influenced by how a lot dialogue there’s on-line, on social media and in our day-to-day lives.
Anecdotally, “I feel if there’s plenty of simply lots of people saying, ‘Oh, I’m actually sick with flu,’ and say there’s much more folks saying that this yr than prior, that may be an element as effectively,” Lawrence mentioned.
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To keep away from the flu this winter, there are a number of issues you are able to do:
Nobody needs to be down for a week-plus with a case of the flu.
The virus tends to unfold indoors in crowded areas, so, relying in your life-style, you could not be capable of completely keep away from getting sick, in response to Lawrence, however there are nonetheless issues you are able to do to scale back your danger of falling sick.
“Crucial intervention is to be vaccinated … it’s not going to work completely to have the ability to stop getting flu sickness, however we do even have cause to imagine that it’s going to considerably scale back the possibility of getting flu, however extra importantly, scale back the possibility of getting actually sick from flu,” Lawrence mentioned.
All three docs pressured that it’s not too late within the season to get the flu vaccine.
“Hand hygiene, I can’t stress it sufficient. Respiratory droplets, the best way they switch, they’re not teeny, tiny ones. You’ll be able to wash them off, and for those who keep away from touching your face, you’ll be able to reduce the quantity of transmission,” Hermes mentioned.
Wash your arms for 20 seconds with cleaning soap and heat water. Should you’re out and about, use hand sanitizer. Should you typically end up in indoor areas with different folks, masking can be nonetheless a good way to maintain your self wholesome, Lawrence famous.
“It really helps stop transmission much more [for flu] than it did for COVID,” Lawrence mentioned.
When you’re gathering with others indoors, it’s additionally useful to maintain your distance — possibly don’t be as huggy as you’re exterior of chilly and flu season, Hermes urged.
“After which ensuring you shield your sleep, you get a superb quantity of sleep, that’s the place you recharge and get your immunity,” she mentioned. Additionally, “simply making an attempt to dwell as a lot of a wholesome life-style with vitamin and hydration and stress discount.”
“Should you assume you will have the flu, discuss to your well being care supplier in order that antivirals may be thought-about,” Creech mentioned.
These drugs may also help preserve flu signs from getting extreme and stop flu-related issues. They’re most really useful for folk at excessive danger of extreme sickness, however Creech mentioned they need to be thought-about for everybody with the flu.
Whereas flu signs this yr are usually not inherently worse than earlier years, components like low vaccination ranges might make your particular person case worse than previously. Should you discover any flu signs, let your physician know to allow them to provide help to recuperate shortly.
