Is there a flu outbreak in your area? - page 5

Yep-- NW Chicago suburbs. The hospital has been pretty packed since just after Christmas-- a lot more flu (mostly A) and pneumonia as a complication. We've even had a lot more PCT(CNA)s and RNs call in sick this year-- and this was the first year the flu shot was mandatory for employees.

Florida - It's so so, alot of people sick...not necessarily a flu outbreak. I need a flu shot for school and I usually don't get one but I'm kinda glad I'm going to this year.

Oy! Karen, you might be better served letting the fever do its job.....

Major outbreak of the Flu here in Chicago. Any visitor with symptoms of coughing,runny nose etc. are not allowed in.As a bedside nurse in the ICU, our beds are overflowing with these cases. Many are intubated and going back and forward in respiratory failure.

Thank you OP for breaking this down and for providing the culture reports.

This is one thing I was afraid of. First of all I am so sorry so many people are sick with this stuff. God speed.
Second--when you hear of influenza/flu prevention-- what do you hear---yep thats right--GET THE FLU SHOT! Well, thats just wrong.
Different strands are causing a lot of this outbreak it seems and one cannot constantly outguess mother nature--even for the limited protect this years influenza vaccination is suppose to provide. I know there are more reasons than just the flu shot but my reasoning is this.
What I wish I would hear on TV , radio, internet etc etc is how to best protect yourself from getting Influenza. Yes, the influenza vaccination can be a small portion of protecting yourself, but there is much more to it--as we all know. Those parts--we hear little about and to me they are more important. I have actually had people tell me they can't get the flu because they have had the influenza vaccination.
And dont get me started on Tamiflu.lol

On second thought I do wonder if the aftermath of Hurricaine Sandy is somewhat to blame?

The CDC has reported that this year's flu vax is 62% effective. Apparently this falls in line with past vaccines, which have been between 50-70% effective. So why is the CDC now calling this year's flu epidemic? 7.3% of deaths last week were a result of influenza or pneumonia, just above the 7.2% threshold that defines an epidemic. I wasn't aware that an epidemic is defined by deaths, not active diseases.

Flu reaches epidemic level in U.S., says CDC | Reuters

Flu cases down in some areas; child deaths up - CNN.com

What?

Yes, lots of flu going on around here, I have a URI right now, no wonder with all my patients coughing in my face!

Why are people going to the ED with Flu like symptons? Unless you fall in to a specific group ( <5 >65 years of age, pregnant or have a comorbidity stay home nothing to be done. All that is happening is people with other emergencies such as broken bones/lacerations/head injuries/heart attacks/strokes are being exposed.

Yep here in NE Ohio-some of the hospitals are in desperate need of staff