"How To Prepare For Flu Season" - Cassie Shortsleeve
Every fall, flu season greets us with constant reminders to wash our hands and roll up our sleeve for a flu shot. Technically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention categorizes flu season as between October and February in the United States. Right now, we’re in full flu season swing – which means it’s that time of year when cases of the virus pop up from coast to coast. If the virus comes into contact with your nose or mouth, it can enter your body and replicate, leading your immune system to attack it, explained Erick Eiting, MD, assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and director of emergency medicine and urgent care at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and Mount Sinai Union Square. “Most of the symptoms you have with the flu are related to your body’s own immune response,” he said. “Even doctors have a hard time knowing which patients are presenting with symptoms related to the flu or some other viral infection,” admitted Dr. Eiting. If someone comes in with five days of symptoms, it’s too late for us to be able to give the medications that cut down the amount of time you have symptoms, added Dr. Eiting.
- Erick Eiting, MD, Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Emergency Medicine and Urgent Care, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai Union Square