What there is to know so far-

Currently, New York is facing a record high number of cases of the flu. The flu is a virus that has been around since the spring of 1918 across the U.S. starting with soldiers. Now people, most noticeably, in New York are dealing with this virus with an outbreak. However this is a different strain being called the “Super Flu”.  This outbreak becoming most noticeable in mid-December there was a 38 percent increase in cases per week (NBC). This presents a clear representation of why people need to be aware or they could become part of this percentage. 

Importance of Getting Vaccinated and Breaking Records-

This year there seems to be a greater outbreak most likely because there are less people getting vaccinated. Meaning that while the vaccine may not completely protect a person from the new strain they are less likely to suffer a greater effect from a virus. The influenza vaccine is available and should be used to prevent hospitalizations. In addition, people need to see that it can only do good by making them feel better quicker if they do happen to get sick. However, many believe that the vaccine has less of a chance of working and isn’t worth getting. Now the population can see the effects of this by seeing that 71,000 cases of the flu were reported just in the week of December 20th(NYS Department of Health). So in other words in the span of a week about 71,000 people were reported to have the flu just in the state of NY. It’s possible that if more people had gotten vaccines there would have been fewer cases reported. More importantly, this number is the highest ever recorded since 2004 and it isn’t even the typical peak season of the flu, January. Furthermore, there is a high number of people that have reported positive for the flu just in the state of New York, so everyone should be trying to do things to prevent themselves from coming down with this virus. 

Symptoms- 

After to Covid epidemic in 2020 everyone in the U.S. started to change the ways they lived their lives. For some this meant wearing a mask when going to a highly populated area or using sanitizer every so often. This also means that many times when a person gets sick now they debate whether or not they need to go to the doctor or if it’s just the common cold. The hard thing with the symptoms of the flu is that they are common symptoms like stomach issues, chills, headaches, dry cough, sore throat, fever, etc(Cleveland Clinic). While they are common symptoms with the Super Flu it often comes up quicker and more intense than with the common cold. Lastly, if you do happen to have the flu it’s important to recognize that you’re contagious a day before symptoms and about a week after, so be sure to be aware.

Super Power Called Sanitizer-

Finally there are various ways people can prevent themselves from becoming infected including:

• Get vaccinated: By getting vaccinated it can help to lessen the chances of getting sick and lessen the symptoms too
• Wash your hands: make sure to do with soap and water for 20 seconds
• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing: help to protect those around you
• Sanitize: Often touched surfaces and hands 
• Eat healthy: Healthy foods like fruits and vegetables offer nutrients that allow the body to fight off pathogens more efficiently
• Exercise: By constantly working out and keeping active a person will feel better overall 

Therefore, now especially people need to be aware and do what they can to protect themselves against this virus. Taking the steps to wash your hands and use hand sanitizer are just two simple actions that people can take to stay healthy. Also if a person does happen to get sick taking daily vitamins and letting your body rest helps to get over the illness more rapidly. Lastly, it’s important to be aware of the actions you can control during this time regarding getting and dealing with an illness.