The Flu: Overview
Influenza
The influenza virus causes a significant number of severe illnesses each year – some cases serious enough to cause morbidity.1
Influenza types A and B cause seasonal epidemics of flu outbreaks every year,1 necessitating an annual revision of the flu vaccine, to keep up with evolving viruses.2
Patients who have contracted the flu will often begin with sudden upper respiratory symptoms similar to the common cold.3,4 More specific to the flu, affected patients will also experience fever, myalgia, weakness, and loss of appetite.5-7
Due to the nature of symptoms, the flu can cause significant impacts on quality of life, such as absenteeism, decreased productivity, and detrimental effects to mood and cognitive performance.8
A flu infection can have significant impacts on quality of life8
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