Category: flu

3 Reasons Why Handwashing Should Matter to You

Unseen woman washing her hands with soap in a sink.

Most of us are familiar with the parental-like voice in the back of our minds that helps guide our decision-making—asking us questions like, “Have you called your grandmother lately?” For many that voice serves as a gentle, yet constant reminder to wash our hands. Handwashing with soap and water is one of the most important Read More >

Posted on by David M. Berendes, PhD, MSPH, Epidemiologist15 CommentsTags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Personal Protective Actions You Can Take in a Flu Pandemic

Period photo of a flu patients during the 1918 influenza pandemic.

Every fall and winter the United States experiences epidemics of seasonal influenza (flu). Sometimes a flu pandemic occurs due to a new flu virus that spreads and causes illnesses around the world. We cannot predict when a flu pandemic will occur, but over the past 100 years, we have documented four flu pandemics resulting in Read More >

Posted on by National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases Community Interventions for Infection Control Unit (CI-ICU)3 CommentsTags , , , , , , , , , ,

The 1918 Flu Pandemic: Why It Matters 100 Years Later

100 years ago, an influenza (flu) pandemic swept the globe, infecting an estimated one-third of the world’s population and killing at least 50 million people. The pandemic’s death toll was greater than the total number of military and civilian deaths from World War I, which was happening simultaneously.  At the time, scientists had not yet Read More >

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6 Things You Need to Know About This Flu Season

Sick boy lying in bed having his temperature taken with a thermometer.

Seasonal flu activity has been intense this season.  As of February 16, 2018 most of the United States continues to experience intense and widespread flu activity, with record-breaking levels of influenza-like-illness and hospitalization rates recorded. While H3N2 viruses are still most common, there is an increasing number of influenza B viruses being detected. It’s not uncommon for second Read More >

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Four Health and Safety Tips for Mass Gatherings

A crowd of people at Mauerpark in Berlin, Germany.

There is strength in numbers – both in public health and in public safety. The more people who take action to protect themselves, the better prepared a community is for an emergency. Communities take different forms. At a mass gathering like the Super Bowl, the Olympics, or in a public place like the airport, the Read More >

Posted on by Ethan Riley, Health Communications Specialist, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Taylor Price, Campaign Manager, "If You See Something, Say Something®" Campaign, U.S. Department of Homeland Security4 CommentsTags , , , , , , , , , ,

In Case You Missed It: Top 10 Posts From 2017

  In honor of the New Year, we are rounding up the blogs that were most viewed by you, our readers, in 2017. America’s Hidden Health Crisis: Hope for Those Who Suffer from ME/CFS Public Health Matters recognized the 25th anniversary of International Awareness Day for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Fibromyalgia. Between 825,000 Read More >

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