But, unfortunately, most people are infected without knowing it. The bright side of all of this, if there even is such a thing, is that the proven methods to prevent the spread of COVID also work to lower your risk of both contracting and passing on the flu. So, if you happen to catch the flu, wearing a mask while you're out and about and practicing social distancing should go a long way toward making sure your incubation period doesn't harm anyone else.
To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter. By Korin Miller November 30, Save Pin FB More. All rights reserved. Close Sign in. Specific influenza antiviral medicines can reduce the severity and the duration of influenza but need to be taken within 48 hours of the first symptoms. These medicines need to be prescribed by a doctor, and are usually considered for people at higher risk of complications from influenza infection.
Laboratories must notify cases of influenza to their local public health unit. Individual cases are managed by their health care provider. Public health action focuses on outbreaks in high-risk settings such as health care facilities, special schools, residential aged care facilities, and Aboriginal communities.
For further information please call your local public health unit on You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server.
Please enable scripts and reload this page. Skip to content Contact us Emergency information. Last updated: 29 April What is influenza? What are the symptoms of flu? People with influenza typically experience some or all of the following symptoms: fever and chills cough, sore throat and runny or stuffy nose muscle aches, joint pains, headaches and fatigue feeling very tired nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea more common in children than adults.
Seek immediate medical advice if the illness quickly becomes worse or if any of the following symptoms occur: shortness of breath or rapid breathing chest pain confusion or sudden dizziness persistent vomiting. How is flu spread? Who is at risk of flu? Median incidence values or attack rate by age group were 9. This means that children younger than 18 are more than twice as likely to develop a symptomatic flu infection than adults 65 and older.
Influenza virus infection is so common that the number of people infected each season can only be estimated. These statistical estimations are based on CDC-measured flu hospitalization rates that are adjusted to produce an estimate of the total number of influenza infections in the United States for a given flu season.
The estimates for the number of infections are then divided by the census population to estimate the seasonal incidence or attack rate of influenza. Does seasonal incidence of influenza change based on the severity of flu season? The proportion of people who get sick from flu varies.
You may be able to spread flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. The time from when a person is exposed and infected with flu to when symptoms begin is about 2 days, but can range from about 1 to 4 days. Complications of flu can include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes.
Anyone can get flu even healthy people , and serious problems related to flu can happen at any age, but some people are at high risk of developing serious flu-related complications if they get sick. This includes people 65 years and older, people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease , pregnant women, and children younger than 5 years.
The first and most important step in preventing flu is to get a flu vaccine each year. Flu vaccine has been shown to reduce flu related illnesses and the risk of serious flu complications that can result in hospitalization or even death. CDC also recommends everyday preventive actions like staying away from people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes and frequent handwashing to help slow the spread of germs that cause respiratory nose, throat, and lungs illnesses, like flu.
Even if you think it won't be serious for you if you get it, it might be for someone you pass it to. Although there are various products and remedies that may claim to help prevent illness once you've been exposed to the flu, none of them have proven to be effective. Your best bet to prevent the flu is to get your annual flu vaccine. Although it's not percent effective at preventing the flu, it gives you a much better chance of avoiding the illness than anything else.
If you are exposed to someone with the flu, avoid close contact with the person and wash your hands frequently. Of course, do your best to avoid getting the flu at all. Be sure to get your flu vaccine, wash your hands often, and avoid people who are sick with the flu. The flu is not something to take lightly and if you do get it, stay away from other people when you are sick.
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