Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is Helping You Fight the Flu

This site is dedicated to helping control the spread of seasonal influenza and the Pandemic A (H1N1) Influenza virus by keeping you informed about how to protect yourself and your family, and, for our clinician visitors, how to protect your patients

Our Infectious Disease specialists are working closely with local and state health departments and federal agencies like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to educate physicians, patients and the public about what everyone can do to control the spread of the flu virus this season.

Usually in a season, we see only one type of flu. This year, however, we are seeing two. 

• Seasonal FLU. The seasonal flu is contagious and is usually accompanied by a fever and respiratory symptoms. It can be mild or severe. According to the CDC, up to 20% of the population gets the flu every year. More than 200,000are hospitalized from complications related to the virus, and about 36,000 people die from the seasonal flu.
• H1N1 FLU. The Pandemic A (H1N1) Influenza virus, also called “swine flu” when it was first discovered, is a new  strain that is causing illnesses in humans worldwide. Much like the seasonal flu, the virus is spread from person-to-person through coughing or sneezing. It can also be spread by touching something that has the flu virus on it and then touching your nose or mouth. According to our experts, we are now experiencing our “second wave” of H1N1 here in North Carolina. The severity of this flu is low for individuals who are healthy, but can be much more dangerous for people who have underlying health problems.

We strongly encourage everyone who can to get both the seasonal and H1N1 flu shots when they become available, to protect yourself from becoming ill from both strains of the flu. Flu vaccines are your best defense against getting sick and the most effective way to control the spread of the virus.

We hope that this website will help you stay healthy, be prepared should widespread flu cause disruptions in daily life, and recognize signs and severe symptoms that require a physician’s care.

It’s important to realize that for most people, an episode of the flu, whether seasonal or H1N1, will be a brief illness that will simply require you to stay home, rest, drink liquids and control fever.  So − be prepared, but don’t panic!