Any flu out there yet??/

[twinmomplus2new]

Just curious, since everyone is telling me it's to early for the Flu... We are in the NorthEast and i would say it has hit this house!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Here is the flu map.....


http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/WeeklyFluActivityMap.htm

 

[twinmomplus2new]

great map. MAssachusetts is in the Sporadic zone so I guess I am not totally nutty!

 

[disfan07]

It's at my school right now. We keep getting emails from the university health center about the fact that they have been diagnosing many flu cases over the past 3 weeks. We only have 2 more weeks left of school and I am just crossing my fingers that I dont catch it.

 

[Mom loves Disney]

Well... My daughter tested positive tuesday for type b flu. They gave her relenza and she broke out in hives from it. Went to the dr. sat. because of the hives and said looked like she had step (we tested for strep and flu tuesday) tested again sure enough strep also!!! No thanksgiving for us. Wish the hives would go away hate to keep giving benadryl.

 

[twinmomplus2new]

Dd 23 wwas here for thanksgiving. Slept on and off said she slept Sunday, monday tuesday and most of Wed when she arrived here.
friday at noon. I literally crashed and fell asleep. I have been on the couch, coughing, sneezing, fever, freezing, sweating ever since then.
All 3 of my Son's are now sneezing and having a light cough, one has had an intermittant fever and has slept all day. I would say yes that is the flu.

My kids Dr never prescribes the tamiflu type products....

 

[SaraJayne]

You also need to remember that not everyone goes to the doctor, even when they have influenza. So take the maps with a grain of salt. They really aren't that accurate.

 

[minkydog]

In my little elementary school we're seeing some flu amongst the kids. And about 3 weeks ago Christian's nurse who helps us in the evenings had the flu. He was sick as a dog. He's from Kenya and he really thought he had malaria, the muscle aches were so bad. Thankfully, the ER doc gave him a Rx for Tamiflu. But still he was out sick for almost a week and it took him another week to really get back to normal.

 

[golfgal]

You also need to remember that not everyone goes to the doctor, even when they have influenza. So take the maps with a grain of salt. They really aren't that accurate.

Dr's offices aren't the only ones that report to the CDC. In our state they take data from schools/pre-schools/day care centers too and the state compiles that info. Also, a lot of the information is statistical so they can extrapolate real numbers based on reported cases.

OP, the flu spreads from the coasts in so about this time of year you start seeing a spike in activity on the coasts and it moves inward. Usually late Jan here is "peak" depending on how early the first cases show up around the country.

 

[SaraJayne]

Dr's offices aren't the only ones that report to the CDC. In our state they take data from schools/pre-schools/day care centers too and the state compiles that info. Also, a lot of the information is statistical so they can extrapolate real numbers based on reported cases.

OP, the flu spreads from the coasts in so about this time of year you start seeing a spike in activity on the coasts and it moves inward. Usually late Jan here is "peak" depending on how early the first cases show up around the country.

And how would the school/daycare/pre-school know that the kids have influenza? Because Mom said so? lol

That's not quite how it works.

 

[golfgal]

And how would the school/daycare/pre-school know that the kids have influenza? Because Mom said so? lol

That's not quite how it works.

Yes, and yes it is how it works. It isn't all that difficult to diagnose the flu-not the strain, obviously, but the symptoms are pretty remarkable. When we call into school if the kids are sick or whatever they ask for flu-like symptoms and the state department of health records that information.

Also, if you DO go to the dr for anything, they ask about flu-current or recent past. The kids have dermatology appointments later this week and they will ask information to see if they have had the flu recently.

 

[marcyinPA]

I heard on the news a couple of weeks ago that one person has died from the flu here in my area...and I think I had heard that it was the first flu-related death reported in the country. (I think I heard that right...or maybe they said "state"...I can't remember).

My kids had their flu shots. I need mine. My DH refuses to get one.

 

[SaraJayne]

Yes, and yes it is how it works. It isn't all that difficult to diagnose the flu-not the strain, obviously, but the symptoms are pretty remarkable. When we call into school if the kids are sick or whatever they ask for flu-like symptoms and the state department of health records that information.

Also, if you DO go to the dr for anything, they ask about flu-current or recent past. The kids have dermatology appointments later this week and they will ask information to see if they have had the flu recently.

Must be a MN thing, 'cause they don't do that here.

 

[marcyinPA]

Our school district provides free flu shots for students through the city health bureau. They hold several clinics throughout the fall. There is really no reason for kids not to get one, unless their parents refuse, or they can't get it for other health reasons.

Do your school districts do the same? FWIW, our district is a very large district, but we have some severe financial problems. SEVERE. They still manage to arrange these flu shot clinics for free.

 

[golfgal]

Our local Kohl's department store is having a free flu shot clinic next weekend.

 

[LuvOrlando]

http://articles.mcall.com/2010-11-2...ath-20101122_1_flu-death-swine-flu-flu-season

We got our shots weeks ago, but we all also had the actual H1N1 last year so we should be at least somewhat naturally immunized. Fingers crossed.

BTW, we all had 2 doses of Tamiflu last year and none of us, not me, DH, DS11 or DD10 had any trouble with it at all.... no reaction at all, not even a tummy ache.

The biggest danger is Pneumonia and fluid in the lungs. Know the symptoms because they come on quickly, within hours. The biggest symptom is a person can't exhale properly, my DD couldn't move her peak-flow but I dismissed it as due to her cough... I should have been warned. Now I know to make them blow out, if its ever weak again I'll know to get help ASAP even if the person is not complaining, she never complained. Next thing is the Pneumonia made it easy for infection to cross into her blood. The big symptom here was how her fever wouldn't budge, not with Advil and Tylenol and not even in a cool tub. Again, I should have been warned because again, it happened within hours. I'm still very angry about the whole thing, grateful my baby girl survived but angry I wasn't warned properly. I'm not stupid, I could have easily processed the information had anyone decided to share it.

 

[marcyinPA]

http://articles.mcall.com/2010-11-2...ath-20101122_1_flu-death-swine-flu-flu-season

We got our shots weeks ago, but we all also had the actual H1N1 last year so we should be at least somewhat naturally immunized. Fingers crossed.

BTW, we all had 2 doses of Tamiflu last year and none of us, not me, DH, DS11 or DD10 had any trouble with it at all.... no reaction at all, not even a tummy ache.

The biggest danger is Pneumonia and fluid in the lungs. Know the symptoms because they come on quickly, within hours. The biggest symptom is a person can't exhale properly, my DD couldn't move her peak-flow but I dismissed it as due to her cough... I should have been warned. Now I know to make them blow out, if its ever weak again I'll know to get help ASAP even if the person is not complaining, she never complained. Next thing is the Pneumonia made it easy for infection to cross into her blood. The big symptom here was how her fever wouldn't budge, not with Advil and Tylenol and not even in a cool tub. Again, I should have been warned. I'm still very angry about the whole thing, grateful my baby girl survived but angry I wasn't warned properly.

Thank you for posting the link~ I knew I heard "first fatality" on the news, but I couldn't remember if they said state or country!