Flu Update Home
Flu Season
This is a most unusual season in relation to the flu: Americans are faced with the dual threat of both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu.
The seasonal flu already is being reported sporadically now, which is much earlier than in a usual year. The H1N1 flu — originally called "swine flu" because the virus genes were similar to some flu viruses that infect pigs — is a new virus that was first detected in people last April. It is spread in much the same way that regular seasonal flu viruses are spread, and includes the same symptoms as seasonal flu.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, illness with the H1N1 virus has ranged from mild to severe. Most people who have been sick from H1N1 have recovered without needing medical treatment, but hospitalizations and deaths from infection with H1N1 — as with the seasonal flu — have occurred.
This Web site will keep you current on all University of Mississippi Medical Center and CDC recommendations for meeting the challenges of what promises to be an unprecedented flu season.
ER not the best place for flu patients
As flu season makes an early entrance, the University of Mississippi Medical Center requests all patients with flu-like symptons visit their primary care physician instead of the Emergency Room. This will help prevent the spread of highly contagious strains of influenza virus, including H1N1 (swine flu).
Primary care physicians are the preferred health providers for the flu. Emergency Room visits are not normally necessary. For a patient appointment with a primary care physician, call 1-888-815-2005.
Learn more about flu symptoms here. If you think you have the flu, visit your primary care physician and follow this advice to prevent infecting others.
For more information about the flu, browse this site or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.