Fri Mar 27, 2015

BY RICHARD TSAI

According to the data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), seasonal flu strives during certain time of a year, most notably in between the months of December and March, which are also known as peak months, with February being the highest month in terms of flu activity. 

When the word “flu” comes to mind, most people may recall the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, also known as swine flu, which according to CDC, may have potentially killed over 200,000 people. Besides that year’s deadly flu outbreak, seasonal flu has been hidden from the attention of the public due to lack of nationwide media coverage and, perhaps, lack of serious public concern about its potential impact.

Just recently, many states like Washington, North Carolina, and Oklahoma, have reported flu-related deaths that surpass over one hundred people, with North Carolina being of the hardest hit areas across the country, in which more than 160 deaths have been reported in this season.

Across the world, swine flu death toll has already reached 1800 in India, making it almost as deadly as the country’s previous swine flu outbreak in 2010. Meanwhile in Hong Kong, over 400 people have reportedly died from the spread of the seasonal flu since the beginning of the year. Most of them were infected with H3N2 virus. New study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has found mutations in the virus that causes the recent swine flu outbreak in India, which made it more dangerous than it had been in the past, according to the findings. 

Whether it is seasonal flu or swine flu, the CDC recommends people to take simple measures to prevent the spread of any flu. Most basic measures include avoiding contact with sick people, covering your nose and mouth when sneezing, washing your hands with soap and water, avoiding contact with eyes, nose, or mouth, and lastly, staying home when you are experiencing illness. Besides these recommended measures, maintaining a healthy body by exercising and eating healthy are both equally crucial in preventing diseases and viruses from taking advantage of your body.