The researchers studied 719 participants aged 12 to 80 years who had early cold symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned to either no pill, a pill they knew contained echinacea or a pill that could be either echinacea or placebo. Participants recorded their symptoms twice-daily for approximately 1 week. Those assigned echinacea had a very slight (7-10 hour), statistically insignificant decrease in the duration of their cold symptoms. Similarly, there was no significant decrease in severity [...]
Have you noticed more folks with flu symptoms over the holidays? Good reason! The flu season has kicked off & is trending up. R U ready?
As we end the year – what is happening with the seasonal flu? It is out there and is trending up, especially in the south. The map above shows that during week 50, the following ILI activity levels were experienced: Three states (Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi) experienced high ILI activity. New York City and two states (Arizona and Nevada) experienced moderate ILI activity. Two states (Louisiana and Oklahoma) experienced low ILI activity The map below [...]
H1N1 (Swine Flu): Got Flu Shot Yet? If You Are Like Most Americans, the Answer Would Be No…The Question Is, Should You???
Most of us avoid needles, well…like the plague… Even so, flu shots are good for you. What are some of the reasons you should roll up that sleeve this fall? Consider this: The U.S. government recommends all 330 million Americans get vaccinated. In an average flu year, up to 20% of the U.S. population gets the flu. Around 36,000 people die annually from the flu. There are many good reasons to get a flu shot [...]
H1N1 (Swine Flu): CDC Lowers Annual Death Toll from 36,000 to 24,000
Last week, the CDC substantially lowered its often-quoted estimate of how many people die in a typical influenza season from 36,000 to 24,000. Now, that is quite a drop isn’t it? The new estimate is based on a reassessment and a broadening of the sample size of years, extending it now from 1976 to 2007. Deaths attributed to flu swung widely, from a low of 3,349 in the winter of 1986-7 to a high of [...]
