Weekly Exercise May Help Reduce Flu, Pneumonia Deaths
Meeting weekly exercise guidelines was associated with lower pneumonia and influenza mortality, a longitudinal study of U.S. adults showed. People who met both aerobic physical activity and muscle-strengthening activity guidelines had a 48% lower adjusted risk for pneumonia and influenza death over a median of 9.2 years of follow-up compared with those who met neither […]
FDA Authorizes At-Home Test for Both Flu and COVID
The FDA has authorized the first over-the-counter (OTC) home test to detect both influenza A and B and COVID-19, the agency announced Friday. The Lucira COVID-19 & Flu Test is a single-use at-home test kit that provides results in about 30 minutes. The test is designed for those with symptoms of a respiratory tract infection. […]
If You’re A Dog Owner, Be Aware Of These Signs Of Flu In Your Pet
Justin Paget via Getty Images More and more dogs are getting canine influenza, which comes with a host of respiratory symptoms. Veterinarians across the country have recently reported cases of canine influenza, a highly contagious respiratory infection that spreads among our four-legged friends. The outbreaks, which picked up steam in southern states like Alabama, Georgia […]
Should You Still Get The Flu Shot Even If You’ve Already Had The Flu?
In the United States, an estimated 9 to 41 million people are infected each year with influenza, commonly known as the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, flu cases were low. Precautions like masking and social distancing were likely responsible for the decline in […]
Flu/COVID Co-Infections Potentially More Severe in Kids, CDC Says
The CDC warned that co-infections with COVID-19 and influenza can potentially cause more severe illness in children, and need to be tracked. Surveillance data from the 2021-2022 influenza season revealed that 6% of flu-related hospitalizations and 16% of flu-related deaths involved children co-infected with COVID-19, Katherine Adams, MPH, of the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues […]
Opinion | Should We Bring Masks Back Into the Classroom?
Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections have skyrocketed this year relative to previous years, with infections from both viruses occurring earlier and increasing faster than any cold and flu season in recent history. Over the past couple of months, many pediatric hospitals have reported running out of beds necessary to treat severe influenza, RSV, […]
High-Dose Flu Vaccine Promising for Mortality Benefits in Older Adults
BARCELONA – A Danish feasibility study that tested a high-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccine versus a standard dose hinted at morbidity and mortality benefits, researchers reported. In the DANFLU-1 study, there was a 48.9% reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality and a 64% reduction in the incidence of hospitalization for influenza or pneumonia for high-dose […]
Early Signs of Hantavirus, Treatment, Contagious, Prevention & Test
Symptoms of Hantavirus Flu-like Symptoms The flu (influenza) is a viral disease of the respiratory tract. Characteristic symptoms are fever, chills, cough, malaise, and headache. Other symptoms can occur, like nausea and vomiting, muscle or body aches, tiredness and fatigue, appetite loss, sore throat, and diarrhea. Read about other flu symptoms » What is hantavirus […]
Universal influenza B vaccine induces broad, sustained protection, biomedical sciences researchers find
A new universal flu vaccine protects against influenza B viruses, offering broad defense against different strains and improved immune protection, according to a new study by researchers in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University. The double-layered protein nanoparticle vaccine, which is constructed with a stabilized portion of the influenza virus (the hemagglutinin […]
Home-based flu tests as accurate as rapid diagnostic testing in clinical settings: Study findings underscore imperative of expanding test access and lowering costs
Home-based, self-administered tests for influenza are comparable in accuracy to rapid diagnostic tests in clinical settings, according to a recently published, peer-reviewed study. “Home tests are a valuable tool to support the management of influenza and other respiratory infections,” said Matthew J. Thompson, professor of global health and family medicine at the University of Washington […]