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Flu Basics
Influenza Q. What is the flu?A. A viral respiratory infection. Symptoms include headaches, dry cough, muscle aches and fatigue, and possible congestion, sore throat and fever. Q. How do you treat the flu? A. Rest, drink plenty of fluids and avoid alcohol and tobacco. Since the flu is a virus, antibiotics can't cure it. Q. Who should get a flu vaccine? A. People older than 65, children 6 to 23 months old, pregnant women and adults or children with chronic health conditions are at greater risk for severe illness. |
How Big a Killer Is the Flu?
| Flu | Heart disease | All causes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of U.S. deaths in a typical year |
36,000 | 703,000 | 2,443,000 |
| Number who could have died | 288,357,0000 (total U.S. population) |
||
| Annual risk | 0.01% (1 out of 10,000) |
0.24% (24 out of 10,000) |
0.85% (85 out of 10,000) |
SOURCES: 2002 Federal death certificate data; estimate of flu deaths comes from Thompson et. al JAMA 2003, 289:179-186. | GRAPHIC: The Washington Post - October 25, 2005
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