Since influenza (“flu”) season typically peaks in the U.S. in January, February or later, Dr. Carol Baker and Dr. William Schaffner – infectious disease experts affiliated with the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases’ Childhood Influenza Immunization Coalition – find themselves answering a lot of flu questions this time of year.
What is influenza?
Although influenza can cause headache, cough, sore throat, and a stuffy/blocked nose, it’s not the common cold. A cold can feel like a cake walk compared to the flu. Influenza is a serious viral infection that can spread quickly through a home, school or office and cause severe illness, like pneumonia and sometimes even death. It hits you very suddenly, usually with high fever, aches and chills. Children can also have ear aches, nausea and vomiting. It’s not pretty.
How bad can it really be?
You’ve heard the phrase “hits you like a ton of bricks.” People use the word “flu” loosely, often to describe a terrible cold or a stomach virus. But flu is more than an inconvenience; it can wipe you out and it can lead to some pretty severe complications. When a person has the flu, he/she will probably spend at least a few miserable days in bed, miss work and not be able to perform other normal day-to-day activities. You really don’t feel well for about 2 weeks when you get influenza, and longer if you develop complications. Flu in children can be especially severe – young kids are hospitalized.
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