Flu is currently sweeping through the United States, making many Americans miserable with sneezing, congestion, cough, body aches, and fever.
“Flu cases are traditionally expected to rise after children return to school from the holidays in January, which may explain the current spike in cases,” says Asif Noor, MD, a specialist in pediatric infectious disease at NYU Langone Health in New York City.
Is the Flu Actually Worse This Year?
“The flu activity we’re having now seems to be on par with what we had during flu seasons prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which kind of erased people’s memory of what flu seasons are like,” says Amesh Adalja, MD, an infectious disease physician and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore.
Lower Vaccination Rates May Be a Factor
Dr. Adalja says that a lower vaccination rate may be a contributing factor in driving up respiratory infections and serious illness.
“Influenza vaccine rates have slipped since COVID-19, as vaccine hesitancy spilled from COVID into other vaccines, including influenza,” says Adalja, who is also a spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
What’s the Difference Between Influenza A and Influenza B?
How Effective Is the Flu Vaccine This Year?
While the vaccine for this season will prevent severe infection, it wasn’t the best match for the currently circulating strains, says Saahir Khan, MD, PhD, an infectious disease specialist with Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles.
“The typical range of flu vaccine effectiveness is about 40 to 60 percent,” says Dr. Khan. “This year’s flu shot is on the lower end of that range — so probably closer to 40 percent.”
Know the Symptoms of Flu, and Treat Them Early On
- Aching muscles, especially in your back, arms, and legs
- Fever of 100.4 degrees F or higher
- Chills and sweats
- Headache
- Cough
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Sore throat
- Fatigue and weakness
Khan adds that anecdotally he’s hearing of more patients this season reporting stomach symptoms as part of their influenza.
The problem with many respiratory illnesses, however, is that they share similar symptoms, so they are hard to tell apart. “The common cold is usually mild with just a runny nose, but anything that is coupled with fever and cough might be COVID, RSV, or the flu,” says Dr. Ostrosky.
Most people who get the flu will recover with plenty of rest and hydration, within a few days to less than two weeks. Some over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen can temporarily relieve symptoms.
Prescription antiviral medications can actually fight the virus and block it from replicating and infecting more cells. These drugs can shorten the duration and severity of illness if treatment is started when symptoms are just beginning. The four available prescription drugs for flu are:
- oseltamivir phosphate (Tamiflu)
- zanamivir (Relenza)
- peramivir (Rapivab)
- baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza)
“You can discuss these options with your doctor, but these medications are probably more of a priority for people who are more vulnerable,” says Khan.
Avoiding Flu and Preventing Spread
Although some regions in the United States are experiencing higher flu rates than others, no one area is really safe from getting the illness. Adalja notes that a number of factors may account for the amount of flu activity in a state, including the level of social activity, the amount of travel in a geographic area, the density of a region, and colder weather that may force people to cluster indoors.
To prevent the spread of flu and protect yourself, Noor advises following basic precautionary measures. “Masking and hand-washing are the two most effective methods of preventing and spreading infection,” he says, in addition to staying home when sick and steering clear of people with symptoms.
“Although people have moved away from using masks, masks protect people from getting sick, particularly in crowded places, and they prevent the spread of infection to other people.”