Unusually intense flu outbreak sweeps through Cleveland
“What your immune system recognizes is completely different from the what the virus has morphed in to at this point,” biology professor Dr. Benjamin Christmann said about the deadly strain of the flu that has killed at least 63 children this year.
Courtesy of Unsplash.com
The flu has certainly taken its toll on the nation, and it doesn't look like it'll be easing off soon. So far, the number of child fatalities associated with the illness has climbed to over 60.
But why is the flu so deadly this year? Biology professor Dr. Benjamin Christmann said it is largely thanks to how the prevalent strain has changed beyond the vaccine.
“The strain is more virulent than normal in terms of its ability to move from patient to patient,” Christmann said. “What your immune system recognizes is completely different from the what the virus has morphed into at this point.”
Several strains of the flu exist at any given time, but the two that are prevalent this season are Influenza A and Influenza B. Influenza A is the more severe and fatal of the two. The virus mutated far beyond what the vaccine was prepared to prevent.
“There was kind of a miss with this year’s vaccine,” Christmann said. “The vaccine can’t take into account evolution of the virus, and that seems to be what happened with this year’s strain is that it evolved past the point of the vaccine being able to protect from it.”
Schools all over the country are closing down for multiple days due to the high number of absences seen by students and faculty. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, all states except Hawaii and Oregon are currently experiencing high flu activity, making it seem unavoidable.
According the Cleveland Daily Banner, Etowah City schools and Rhea County schools will be closed Thursday and Friday, while Marion and Polk County schools will be closed through Monday. Benton Elementary also reported 77 absences as of Feb. 8.
The highly contagious nature of the flu is not a new fact, but people are still baffled by how rapidly the illness is spreading, even with vaccination. Fox News reported last Saturday that the CDC says at least 63 children have died this flu season.
Historically speaking, Christmann said the US was ripe for such an outbreak.
“We were kind of due for an epidemic,” Christmann said. “The United States has not seen a major epidemic since the swine flu outbreak ten years ago, and timing-wise that’s about the rate of mutational events for the virus.”
Sophomore discipleship ministry major Madison Hyde said she could personally see the difference in the flu this season.
“I always get the flu shot and haven’t had many problems with it,” Hyde said. “But this year, I was sick with the flu for two weeks.”
While Hyde’s vaccination might not have protected her from the virus, CDC epidemiologist Dr. Vicki Benard told the Clarion getting vaccinated is still the best way to prevent the flu. According to Benard, the vaccination protects against multiple strains of influenza, and without it, this flu season would have been much more severe.
Besides getting the flu vaccine and washing your hands, Benard said the best way to avoid getting sick is to stay away from people who have the flu. Benard and the CDC recommend that, if you are sick with a flu-like illness, you should stay home for at least 24 hours.
According to Benard, flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. If these symptoms—especially the fever—persist for over 24 hours, the CDC recommends that you get tested for the flu.
For more about the flu such as preventative steps, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and information about the vaccine, you can visit the CDC’s website at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm.
