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Severe flu strain rapidly spreading across country

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    How to avoid the flu this season

  • Duration 5:01
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Over the major warning as this year's flu season is already gotten off to a very early.

And very deadly start thousands of people in more than half of the country have been infected and that's just the first few weeks alone.

Of this winter season doctor -- what's going on.

Well I want to first tell people what fluids because we're hearing a lot about it.

-- is a package of tiny package of genetic material covered -- -- -- The envelope has a couple of proteins on one BH protein.

Helps the viruses get into yourself the other the end protein helps your virus get out of -- -- into another so.

H three N two is the variety we're dealing with this year Rick and it is a bad version of the -- In 2003.

It led to the deaths of over 40000 people -- very similar variety.

And we also know in the CC has said that this it tends to give you an early flu season which we're seeing this year.

And it can end up peaking sometime at the end of this month or the early part of next month we haven't seen the peak yet we -- over 2000 hospitalizations last week.

But -- some money and I talked about this yesterday on the air.

We we've ended up seeing 151000 recorded cases but it's probably more like 50000 cases.

Because physicians like me don't bother always testing forward and always reporting sometimes we look at something called influenza like illness do you have a favorite.

Do you have muscle it do you have fifty.

You have a sore throat and cough those -- the classic symptoms and the fever fatigue -- first and foremost when we find that we want to isolate you we want you to stay home.

Maybe if you have a high risk we might want to give you Tamiflu to cut down the severity of the symptoms.

And we want to watch out for those most at risk for chronically -- the very young the very old and pregnant women.

Doctors -- we were talking about this yesterday the fact that this has started so early is a bit of a problem what about folks who have not yet gotten.

The flu shot what would you say to -- late.

I would say that it's not too late and you can get through vaccination.

It takes about two weeks for your immune system to really -- -- so we still have time and as mark mentioned we -- five weeks ahead of the schedule.

-- this flu it's practically speaking what is that what what it is is that that we should -- but somewhere around -- in January or February.

-- -- how it started way -- the years so more people are affected by the good news is that the match that we have for vaccine.

And the virus go hand in hand that's perfect we're still not doing so well with the number of vaccination this country.

A 127.

Million -- vaccination that's only about 37%.

Of the country and that's average that's also good.

But the truth is the purpose of this segment is not to scare people is to really educate them to find out that all the -- about this.

Flu vaccination people come and tell me did you get a vaccination yes I didn't get -- because every time I get the vaccine I get sick.

Not true because this is -- dead.

Virus it's not -- active -- so.

Most question comes from Rick is that is it really common called or is it mean that flew the -- is a full -- picture of fatigue.

Feed their body -- you're really sick common core business of running nose.

And just congestion and the whole idea we've talked about this Jamie before about the zee pac.

They crisis in this country yet you don't treated but that's about -- because most of whom are virus.

Yes I would ask your question because I relented yesterday we both talked all of us about the flu and I said I wasn't gonna get a flu shot like many Americans I.

But today doctors doctor Siegel got me kind of before this does your car this year so I had the flu shot but why if you have a healthy diet you take your multiple vitamin.

-- stay away from people who are sick you wash your hands.

Why do you need the flu -- An excellent question and I also want to emphasize David's point that we're not here to scare people because people then think they have the flu -- when they have a cold.

And the symptoms we sat on the -- already are the ones you have to look out for physicians have to be in the loop.

But why would I wanna -- -- was healthy the if there is something called herd immunity.

I want -- vaccinated as many people as possible because it decreases the amount of circulating flu.

If I -- around.

Less pregnant women are gonna get sick.

-- very young kids are gonna get sick less people with asthma I -- vaccinated my whole house so it looked thoughtful thing to do get everybody and I flu shot and because there's such a great match this year which -- -- -- 2003.

Also good news the CDC got it right this year this year it's a great match if you get the flu -- The chances are much less you get -- it's very difficult to control flu and while you're taking all of the great food and exercise that you doing.

This has nothing to do with it because this is spread by droplets so if somebody sneezes and -- That virus is gonna sit on the table for about eight hours and you're gonna end up touching your laptop and everything else so hand -- is absolutely important.

If you're not gonna do that then you sold his alcohol based hand rub and that's how you reduce the number of quite.

So I joined the hurt.

You want to look it's well thank you so much for carrying about us and our viewers to go get the shot didn't hurt Nadal -- --

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