Category: Flu News & Surveillance
What is Bird Flu?
February 18, 2022 - Bird flu, also called avian flu, is a type of flu that spreads among birds. In this post, we talk about what bird flu is and how it affects humans. How does flu spread in birds? Bird flu occurs naturally in wild birds. When birds are used for eggs and meat and they live together […]
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The Number of Flu Cases Worldwide: A Global Perspective
February 9, 2022 - Influenza is a year-round, global virus. Because the flu season typically coincides with the winter months, the Northern hemisphere’s flu season is often from October-April and the Southern hemisphere’s flu season covers the other months of the year. Here are some statistics on flu cases worldwide: An estimated 1 billion people worldwide are infected by […]
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RSV Is Spreading – That’s Bad News for Flu Season
September 8, 2021 - Respiratory syncytial virus, otherwise known as RSV, is currently spreading across the US at an unusual time. RSV is a respiratory virus that typically spreads during flu season and is so common that the CDC states that most children have a case of RSV by the time they are two. But RSV can be serious, […]
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Fears of a Twindemic: Don’t Delay Flu and COVID-19 Vaccinations
August 31, 2021 - Last year, Families Fighting Flu and health officials warned of a “twindemic” of COVID-19 and flu. The fear was that as cases of COVID-19 continued to rise, and we were awaiting a COVID-19 vaccine, flu would also spread and there wouldn’t be enough hospital beds, ICU beds, ECMO machines, or ventilators. Thankfully, that never happened. […]
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Losing Sight of Flu: A Side Effect of the Pandemic?
February 11, 2021 - Serese Marotta, Chief Operating Officer for Families Fighting Flu shares thoughts on how the COVID-19 pandemic may impact flu prevention efforts moving forward. Last spring, when fears of COVID-19 in the U.S. were spreading faster than the virus itself, I had a sense of dread. Not just because we were on the verge of a […]
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A Nearly Flu-Less Season in the Southern Hemisphere
January 11, 2021 - The recent holidays felt different and more somber than usual as families abandoned traditional travel plans, gift exchanges, and festivities to protect themselves and loved ones from the potential spread of COVID-19. The COVID-related deaths and infection rate in the United States continue to be both staggering and devastating. But today we bring to you […]
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Coronavirus and Flu Are Spreading Simultaneously: Here’s What You Can Do to Help Prevent Both
March 7, 2020 - A new virus that emerged from Wuhan, China, coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19 for short, is circulating around the world. At the same time, seasonal flu (influenza) is also spreading, which has caused millions of illnesses and thousands of hospitalizations and deaths. Many of the same methods for preventing seasonal flu can also be used […]
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Flu Surveillance in the U.S.
January 9, 2020 - Flu activity in the U.S. is tracked through collaborative efforts between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and partners including public health and clinical laboratories, healthcare providers, state, local, and territorial health departments, clinics, emergency departments, and vital statistics offices. The following five systems are used to monitor flu activity in the United […]
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