rap chart, page-2800

FDA should be seriously thinking about how RAP can help the current flu season crisis, it’s been the worst among recent years and US definitely need to introduce our groundbreaking technology.


Early 2019-2020 flu activity was primarily driven by influenza B/Victoria viruses, which the vaccine is not a great match for. Now, that flu activity is changing. "We’re now experiencing an increase in A/H1N1," Schaffner said.

"It looks like we’re having a second wave. The vaccine is exactly on target against this strain."

In general, influenza B is more common in children, while influenza A, also known as H1N1, is more commonly seen in older adults, according to Dr. Jessica Grayson, an assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

So far, 6,600 people have died and 120,000 people have been hospitalized during the 2019-2020 flu season, according to preliminary estimates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Friday.

Of those deaths, 39 were children, a group that's particularly vulnerable to the flu and its complications.During recent past flu seasons, deaths among children have ranged from 37 to 187 fatalities.

"The flu season began early this year and took off aggressively," said Schaffner.

"It began prominently in the southeastern states but quickly spread," he said. "So far, there is no sign that the momentum of the annual epidemic is slowing."

The highest flu activity is decreasing and is now clustered in 34 states, including much of the southern and western parts of the country as well as New York City and Puerto Rico.

In total, the CDC estimates that 13 million people have gotten the flu so far this season.

2019-2020 Flu Season Activity for the Week Ending Jan. 11, 2020

It remains too early to say how severe this flu season will be or how long it will last.

Typical symptoms of the flu include fever, sore throat, aches, chills and sweats and fatigue, according to the Mayo Clinic.

While the flu might seem like a relatively minor disease because it's so common, complications from the flu, which can include pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma flare-ups and heart problems, can be deadly.

People with weakened immune systems, adults older than age 65 and babies are all at a higher risk of contracting the flu

If you experience flu symptoms, Grayson recommends staying home from work and other public places to avoid transmitting the disease to others. Wash your hands often and avoid others who are ill.

"Before going to your doctor's office, call," Grayson said. "They may have a different waiting room for those who are sick."