Health Team

State officials to release new flu numbers Thursday as season rages on

WakeMed officials said employees have confirmed more than 2,500 cases of flu since Jan. 1. State health officials reported 140 deaths from the virus when new numbers were released last week.

Posted Updated

By
Emmy Victor
, WRAL reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — Flu concerns continue in North Carolina as state officials get ready on Thursday to release the latest numbers on the virus.
WakeMed officials said employees have confirmed more than 2,500 cases of flu since Jan. 1, and state health officials reported 140 deaths from the virus when new numbers were released last week.

Flu symptoms include:

  • A 100-degree or higher fever or feeling feverish (not everyone with the flu has a fever)
  • A cough and/or sore throat
  • A runny or stuffy nose
  • Headaches and/or body aches
  • Chills
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea (most common in children)
Similarities

Both the cold and flu are viruses, meaning they cannot be “cured” by antibiotics, and both will abate on their own timetables. The cold and flu also share some symptoms, such as headaches, potentially a sore throat, fatigue or weakness, and aches and pains.

The cold and flu also share a similarity in what they are not – neither is a version of the stomach flu, or a 24-hour bug. The “stomach flu,” as it’s commonly known, is usually viral gastroenteritis, and is unrelated to either the common cold or influenza.

Differences

The main difference of course between the flu and the common cold are the severity and duration of symptoms. The flu tends to have a faster onset of symptoms, which can include fevers as high as 104 F, chills, exhaustion and severe aches. It will be difficult to carry out your normal daily routine with the flu, and the fever will often last between three to five days, with tiredness and fatigue lasting up to two to three weeks.

The common cold usually only lasts a day or so, and most healthy adults can continue to work and be productive throughout the illness. Fevers are rare, as are complicating factors and other related illnesses.

The most important difference is that flu is also potentially deadly to children beneath the age of 6 months and in the elderly (65 years and older), while the cold will likely be a nuisance that needs monitoring but is not cause for alarm.

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