Dallas County health officials confirmed Wednesday, Jan. 22, that a 34-year-old person died from the flu. They also said that the individual did not have any underlying medical conditions. This is the 11th person in Dallas County to die after contracting the flu during this flu season.
The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get a flu vaccine each year and it isn’t too late for the vaccine to help you escape the flu this season. Additionally, good health habits like covering your cough and washing your hands often can help stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu. There also are flu antiviral drugs that can be used to treat and prevent flu. The tips below will help protect against the flu and help stop the spread of germs.
Avoid close contact…with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others.
Stay home when you are sick…from work, school and errands when you are sick. This will help prevent spreading your illness.
Cover your mouth and nose…with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It could prevent those around you from getting sick. Flu and other serious respiratory illnesses, like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), whooping cough and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are spread by cough, sneezing or unclean hands.
Clean your hands…often to help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth…as germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth.
Practice other good health habits…clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.
Flu symptoms usually come on suddenly and can cause some or all of these symptoms:
- Fever* or feeling feverish/chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle or body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
* Important: Not everyone with flu will have a fever.
Anyone can get the flu and serious problems related to flu can happen at any age, but some people are at high risk of developing serious flu-related complications. This includes people 65-years-old and over, people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease), pregnant women and children younger than 5-years-old, but especially those younger than 2-years-old.
Remember – It’s not too late for the vaccine.
Helpful information on distinguishing from a common cold or the flu:
| Signs and Symptoms | Cold | Flu |
| Symptom onset | Gradual | Abrupt |
| Fever | Rare | Usual; lasts 3-4 days |
| Aches | Slight | Usual; often severe |
| Chills | Uncommon | Fairly common |
| Fatigue, weakness | Sometimes | Usual |
| Sneezing | Common | Sometimes |
| Chest discomfort, cough | Mild-moderate; hacking cough | Common; can be severe |
| Stuffy nose | Common | Sometimes |
| Sore throat | Common | Sometimes |
| Headache | Rare | Common |
Information from www.cdc.com.