Second Wave of Flu Season is Underway
According to the CDC, during week 13 of the influenza update, activity has decreased in the United States.
Virus A is the dominant strain during flu season but, doctors are never sure what type it exactly is.
However, since early March virus B has become more frequently reported than virus A.
Interim Chief University Physician, Dr. Jennifer D’Abreau explains this.
“Right now what we’re seeing is an increase in the type B influenza and that’s pretty typical, we’ll see that happens as the flu season progresses. It always starts with A and then A dwindles off and B picks up and picks up here as we move through the rest of the season.”
So why exactly do we see more B strains at the end of flu season?
“It’s just the pattern we’ve seen in the past traditionally. Right now the CDC is nationally quoting about 60 percent of all influenza cases are A and 40 percent right now are B.”
But when exactly is the cut off for flu season?
“It’s good that we’re actually seeing it drop off. I’m starting to think our season is a little shorter or right on target to previous years. It’s been as long as twenty weeks but I’m foreseeing that I’m thinking it’s going to be closer to that sixteen-week mark.”
However, people are still being affected with the flu late into the season.
Kaitlyn Lipsitt, a Junior Fashion Merchandising major explains this.
“Truthfully, I was bed-ridden for about three to four days but then I wasn’t starting to feel better for another week and a half to two weeks. It started to linger for awhile and felt like a cold by the end.”
What you are hearing is coughing which is a common symptom for the flu. Some students are still experiencing this.
“I remember when I was going to class a lot of people were experiencing different symptoms, yeah it was definitely pretty prominent when I had it.”
Some are still unsure of how effective the vaccine may be.
“It’s controversial, whether like some people believe it doesn’t work really work and some people believe it’s very beneficial.”
Dr. D’Abreau explains that strain B does have a better reaction to the vaccine.
“Produces very similar symptoms, those it affects makes ill it often responds to the vaccine better and often responds better to the anti-viral medications and both of those things are positive things which is why they’re telling us we still should be recommending the flu vaccine, people should still be getting it.”
For TV2, I’m Starr Bodi.
The second wave of the flu season is underway. It’s predicted that we will see a decrease in the next few weeks. #JMCRPP
— Starr Bodi (@StarrBodi) April 12, 2018
Did you get the flu vaccine this year? It’s still not too late with the second wave underway! #JMCRPP
— Starr Bodi (@StarrBodi) April 12, 2018