It’s not shocking to see cases of the flu jump up during respiratory virus season. But there’s been enough talk about the so-called “super flu” swirling around that it’s fair to wonder what’s going on out there.
“Flu has really taken off in the last week in this country,” William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, tells SELF. While Dr. Schaffner stresses that “the flu is the flu,” there are a few explanations for why symptoms may be a little more intense right now. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s flu symptoms, plus what to do next.
Flu cases are being driven by a new variant.
It’s called subclade K, and it’s a version of influenza A H3N2. It’s important to point out that influenza A H3N2 isn’t new, but subclade K is. This variant of the flu has new mutations that make it more infectious than other strains that have been circulating lately, leading some to call it “super flu.” In fact, influenza A H3N2 mutated seven times over the summer, to emerge as a stronger, heartier virus, Thomas Russo, MD, professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York, tells SELF.
Unfortunately, those mutations have made this flu strain better at evading previous immunity you might have, either from being vaccinated or having had other versions of the flu in the past, Dr. Russo says.
Subclade K hit the UK first, and details of the country don’t paint a pretty picture. Early data from the British government suggests that the flu vaccine is 30% to 40% effective at preventing emergency room visits from the flu in adults, while it’s up to 70% effective at keeping kids out of the ER. Essentially, this strain of the flu is highly infectious and our usual tools at preventing it aren’t as effective as we’d like.
The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that nearly all stats on the flu are jumping up across the country.
Symptoms are the same, but may be more intense.
Both doctors stress that this is still the flu. “It’s not like this is a new flu,” Dr. Russo says. With that, you can expect the standard symptoms. According to the CDC, those include:
- Fever or feeling feverish
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle or body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Vomiting and diarrhea (although this is less common)
But Dr. Russo has noticed more people in their 20s and 30s reporting a tough experience with the flu. “People who think that they’re young, healthy, and never get sick may feel like they’re experiencing their first flu,” he says. “Maybe they were younger when they had it and didn’t remember it, or it wasn’t that bad the last time around.”
As a result, Dr. Russo says that there seems to be a growing group of younger adults experiencing what it’s like to have the flu. That can mean sleeping the day away because the fatigue is so intense, or feeling really rundown. “It can make you quite sick,” Dr. Russo says. “The flu isn’t fun.”
The flu tends to come on hard and fast, which can make it feel especially tough to go through, Dr. Schaffner says. “You can get fever, chills, and feel very, very weak all of the sudden,” he says. “It doesn’t creep up on you. It comes on fast.”
You’re not powerless against the flu.
It can feel that way when it seems like everyone around you is sick, but doctors stress that you have options, both for prevention and treatment of the flu. On the prevention front, Dr. Schaffner says it’s still a good idea to get your flu shot, if you haven’t already. “If you haven’t been vaccinated, get vaccinated quickly,” he says. “It does take 10 days to two weeks to get maximum protection.”(Again, while the shot isn’t perfect at preventing the flu, it can help lower the odds you’ll end up in the hospital.)
While you’re at it, do your best to avoid people who are coughing and sneezing, and stay on top of your hand hygiene. “This virus is predominantly transported through the respiratory route, but hand hygiene is a good strategy—period—especially during respiratory virus season,” Dr. Russo says.
If the flu has already invaded your household, Dr. Schaffner says that wearing a mask may help to protect you. And, if you happen to get sick, he recommends getting yourself tested for flu. “We can give you antiviral medicines such as Tamiflu that will shorten the duration of the illness and help keep you out of the hospital,” Dr. Schaffner says.
Beyond that, Dr. Schaffner recommends doing your best to stay well hydrated and moving around when you can. Dehydration raises the risk of developing serious complications like pneumonia, and walking around can help you breathe more deeply, he points out. “That will also help to prevent pneumonia,” Dr. Schaffner says.
The good news—if there is any with this—is that flu season may end on the earlier side this year, per Dr. Schaffner. We just have to get through it first.
Related:
- What Is Fire Cider—And Can It Actually Prevent Cold and Flu?
- 7 of the Worst Things You Can Do During Cold and Flu Season
- You Can Now Give Yourself a Flu Vaccine at Home With a Nasal Spray
Get more of SELF’s great friendship advice delivered right to your inbox—for free.
