Jan 30, 2018 3 min read

With the exception of a few extraordinarily hardy centenarians, the flu pandemic that started in 1918 and continued into the following year has slipped out of living memory. One of the few certainties of 2018 is that there will be a steady stream of news stories, documentaries and books looking back on the deadly worldwide flu outbreak 100 years after the fact, and for good reason – it infected fully one-third of the world’s population, and killed between 20 million and 50 million people.

Given all the breakthroughs we’ve made in medical science over the last century, it’s hard to imagine a flu pandemic of such lethality occurring again, but that doesn’t mean the flu isn’t still deadly. It’s been widely reported that this flu season is the worst since 2009, when the swine flu that swept around the world may have resulted in the deaths of a little more than 200,000 people.

There were close to 12,000 cases of laboratory-confirmed hospitalizations related to the flu in the United States between Oct. 1 and Jan. 20, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with 37 children having apparently died as a result of the flu. Dr. Daniel Jernigan, who is with the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, said last week that flu cropped up in all parts of the country and has stayed at a consistently high level. All told, every state in the union except for Hawaii has reported “widespread activity,” in Jernigan’s words.

“We often see different parts of the country light up at different times, but for the past three weeks the entire country has been experiencing lots of flu at the same time,” he added.

The number of people getting vaccinated every year against the flu in the United States has declined slightly, and it’s easy to understand why – unless it’s offered at a workplace, it’s one of those duties that can be easy to put off. And, let’s face it, who among us really relishes getting shots? Still, getting vaccinated, even at this late date, is still the best way to guard against catching the flu. Those who have been vaccinated may still end up catching the flu, but chances are its severity will be reduced because of the vaccine.

A lot of people also prefer to tough it out at home when they are experiencing flu-like symptoms, but getting to a doctor is suggested when weakness, fever and body aches don’t go away on their own, or after over-the-counter medications have had little effect. Seeing a physician is particularly recommended for pregnant women and people older than 65.

There are some other commonsense tips you can follow if you want to lower your odds of catching the flu or giving it to others. Frequent hand-washing is wise, and applying hand sanitizer when you’re out and about is not a bad idea. And if you are sick, don’t go to work or school. Sure, trudging through the day while your head is pounding, you have chills and feel indisposed could be interpreted by some as a sign of exceptional dedication, but you’re not really doing your boss any favors since you probably won’t be all that productive, and you’re particularly not helping the cause if you’re going to pass it around the company and infect everyone else.

History shows that flu can be deadly. But with a little attention and care on everyone’s part, it shouldn’t be more than an inconvenience.