What you need to know about California’s flu season

As in many cases, pandemics have brought to mind what we once took for granted: the flu epidemic.

Between October and May each year, it is commonly considered the flu season in the United States, with millions of people getting the flu and tens of thousands dying from the flu. Influenza was consistently one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States until 2020.

According to some estimates, last year’s flu season caused about 1 percent of hospitalizations and infections in the average season. In California 50 Last winter, people died of the flu. 706 Death during the 2019-20 season.

This can be thought of as a pandemic silver life. The combination of social distance, masking, and school closures implemented to limit the spread of the coronavirus also kept the flu away.

That’s good news, but the question mark remains about what will happen this year. Coronavirus restrictions have been relaxed, but they have not returned to their normal pre-pandemic state.

So you may be wondering, how bad is the flu season?

The short (and frustrating) answer is that we have to wait and see. The flu season usually peaks around February, so we can’t know much based on what we’ve seen in these early months.

So far, the number of influenza cases nationwide and in California has been small, but is on the rise.

Since October, three Californians have died of the flu. Middle-aged man in Los Angeles County.. According to state data, the other deaths were elderly people in California and people between the ages of 18 and 49.

The Universal indoor masking requirements California’s claims this week to stop the rise in coronavirus numbers could also limit the spread of the flu. The same is true for most measures aimed at moving the rally to an outdoor setting, washing hands thoroughly, and minimizing the spread of Covid-19.

However, pandemics may not have a very beneficial effect on influenza transmission. Some experts are worried that last year’s mild flu season weakened Americans’ immunity to the virus.

one Mathematical model It was calculated that increased susceptibility could increase an additional 102,000 Americans hospitalized for influenza this winter. This is a 20% increase compared to the average flu season.

“Last year there were so few illnesses that herd immunity is likely to decline, and this year we are all at increased risk of illness, especially among the most vulnerable people, including children,” said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Rochelle Wallensky, director of the center, said. Said prevention at a recent press conference.

Health officials say the best preventative measure is the flu vaccine. Influenza vaccine is recommended for everyone over 6 months. It’s not as effective as the Covid-19 vaccine, but it’s the best way to protect yourself from the flu.

“That’s the only thing that really makes a difference,” said Peter Parese, a microbiologist and flu expert at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Q. How to prepare for the flu season. I told my colleague at A.

One debate in favor of influenza vaccination has recently felt particularly resonating.

Vaccines not only reduce the chances of getting the flu, but also reduce the chances of transmitting the flu to others. You may be able to survive a bout of the virus, but the child or grandparent you infected with it may not be so lucky.

For many:

What we are eating

Made with crispy feta cheese A dazzling appetizer.

Where we are traveling

Today’s travel tips come from Laryn Lee. Huntington Library and Gardens San Marino:

“Currently, children aged 20 and 24 have memories of running around regularly on the Huntington Library and garden grounds in San Marino since they returned from China for the first time as infants.

The pictures show beautiful camellias blooming in autumn and colorful roses blooming in spring. It is impressive that the gardens are now visited from a kind of sleepy museums and grounds without admission, and have been converted into top-notch popular museums and grounds by upgraded development.

For us adults, it was breathtaking to see the construction of a full-fledged Chinese garden using craftsmen brought in from China. For our kids, we were able to play in the Children’s Garden, especially during the hot season when we could get wet with various fountains and streams (shhh, don’t tell the guards) in addition to the “mist shower”. That was a reward I went inside the old mansion to find and see the pictures of the Blue Boy and Pinky. The Japanese garden with its bridge, house and lovely bonsai collection is also impressive. And after just a few visits, I began to appreciate the colorful and strange succulents in the desert garden. Oh, when we were on a tour of the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, when Docent asked if he had seen the Gutenberg Bible, they both said aloud, yes, they Have already seen in the Huntington Gardens! “

What is your favorite place in California? Email your suggestions to [email protected].. More will be shared in future editions of the newsletter.

tell me

Ordering Ikeda pies for an annual Tamare party, New Year in Palm Springs, or Christmas dinner — what is your Golden State Holiday tradition?

Please email me at [email protected]..

And some good news before you go

In early December, The Redding Record Searchlight wrote about an amazing musical talent: a stunning cellist living in the street.

Alyssa Johnson, 33, has been playing the cello since the age of 11, and has been described as a musical “genius.” She couldn’t afford a complete new instrument, so she bought a custom-made cello earlier this year for $ 7,300 on credit.

After the newspaper article was published, Johnson said an anonymous reader wanted to pay off her cello. She still borrows $ 6,649.