Influenza (flu)
Should You Have a New Home Flu Test, RSV, or COV…
In case you have not noticed, the flu is back! The swallows come back to Capistrano every spring and influenza viruses start circulating around the holidays and usually last into February. The CDC wil…
Flu Kills. Antiviral Treatments Exist. Why Don 
In a moment I will ask you to step into my time machine and visit The People's Pharmacy newspaper column 43 years ago on February 7, 1983. But first... Antiviral medications have become standard medic…
Flu Watch # 5 and Outbreak Update # 4: Mixed Mes…
In our attempt to keep you informed about various winter infections, we rely upon official and unofficial data. To be perfectly frank, the picture is confusing. The report from the CDC for Flu Watch #…
Flu Frenzy! How Should You Deal with a Bad Flu S…
The flu season usually begins to subside by early February. Perhaps we'll get lucky and see that for this year as well. So far, it has been a bad flu season. The US Centers for Disease Control and Pre…
Show 1457: How to Strengthen Your Immune System …
Influenza usually starts in November, and cases increase throughout the winter, not fading until March or so. This year’s flu season is especially severe. An awful lot of people are suffering with f…
Flu Watch #4: This Is an INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC (Whe…
There’s no gentle way to say this anymore: the United States is in the early stages of an influenza epidemic. Flu activity isn’t just “high” or “surging.” It has blown past the epidemic th…
CDC Changes Vaccine Schedule for Youngsters
This week, on January 5, 2026, the CDC issued a new vaccine schedule for babies and children. (This may have been a response to a presidential request issued on December 5, 2025. President Trump appar…
Will NAC Prevent Overdosing on Acetaminophen in …
Many over-the-counter medicines marketed for treating colds and flu contain acetaminophen (paracetamol in the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand). This non-aspirin pain reliever also helps lower fe…
Flu Watch for 1/1/2026 and Outbreak Update-3–I…
Welcome to our latest update on influenza (Flu Watch for 1/1/2026) and other circulating nasties (Outbreak Update-3). Back on November 17, 2025, we wrote an article titled "Flying Blind into Influenza…
Our Top 10 Articles of 2025: The People’s …
This year brought urgent revelations about medication safety, surprising insights into dementia prevention, and practical wisdom about heart health that challenges conventional thinking. From generic …
FLU WATCH: Hospitalizations Surge as Holidays Be…
We have been tracking influenza since before there were cases in North America this year. That's because we pay careful attention to what happened in the Southern Hemisphere: Australia, New Zealand, S…
Outbreak Update-2: Flu Surging, Norovirus Spikin…
Last week we asked you, a loyal reader, if you wanted to receive “Outbreak Updates.” After everything we have been through over the last few years, we assumed that most people would be tired of ad…
Will Tamiflu Side Effects Stop You from Taking I…
Many people are tired of paying attention to influenza. However, flu season is just getting underway. This viral infection is capable of killing vulnerable individuals and making hundreds of thousands…
Outbreak Update-1: Flu Surges, Norovirus Spikes,…
Winter has settled in. Cold, damp or storm-ridden weather means people are hanging out indoors. And, based on our research, indoor air quality leaves a lot to be desired. This week’s “Outbreak Upd…
The Flu Is Back: Stop Wondering—Start Testing!
The CDC is behind...again! On December 4, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its weekly FluView for the week ending November 29, 2025. In reality, the data could be a week or …
Show 1454: Stopping Airborne Viruses: Simple Ste…
Do you worry about things you can’t see, smell or taste? Most of us don’t. Yet particles we can’t detect with our five senses are often present in the air we breathe. They have the power to make…
Do Tamiflu Side Effects Outweigh Its Benefits?
Viruses are on the move…though the air and on surfaces. Subclade K type A H3N2 influenza is spreading. People catch it primarily by inhaling invisible viral particles. Public health authorities are …
Protecting Yourself from the Flu with Tamiflu
The flu season this year started early all around the world. What we are dealing with is the Subclade K influenza—a H3N2 variant with seven new mutations. You can read all about this evolving influe…
BREAKING: Subclade K Influenza is Escaping Flu S…
A week ago we warned you about Subclade K influenza—a H3N2 variant with seven new mutations. This genetic "drift" emerged after this year's flu vaccine was created. There is growing concern that thi…
Can Elderberry Juice Really Fight Flu Virus?
Elderberries and elderberry juice have long had a reputation for fighting the flu. Most physicians undoubtedly have considered this just another old wives’ tale. One reader remembers how her family …
ALERT! Subclade K Flu is Here: Why We Warned You…
On Monday, November 17, 2025, we published a warning: this year’s flu season may be worse than the official line. We pay close attention to the southern hemisphere, which offers us an early hint ab…
Flying Blind into Influenza Season: Global Trend…
How bad will this year’s influenza season be? That is a question we ask every fall about this time. Normally, we turn to the CDC for answers to questions about circulating infections. But as people …
The Vaccine Controversy Is Dividing America
We have written hundreds of articles on divisive health topics. They include cholesterol and heart disease, seed oils, statins, opioids for pain, COVID treatments, food fights, vitamins, home remedies…
Japan Has a Flu Epidemic! Are You Ready for a BA…
Most Americans are sick and tired of epidemics, pandemics or any other “emics.” Many people want to forget about face masks, vaccines and viruses. Sadly, though, the pathogens are not taking a bre…
Astepro — An Allergy Spray That May Ward Off V…
Have you caught COVID-19 again? We have been surprised and disappointed that so many friends and family members have caught the SARS-CoV-2 virus this summer and fall. Even those who avoided earlier va…
Sniffing Astepro or Inhaling Heparin to Prevent …
Two inexpensive drugs are turning out to be surprisingly effective against COVID. One is the anticoagulant heparin. The other is an antihistamine nasal spray sold over the counter as Astepro (azelasti…
Improve Indoor Air Quality with UV Light to Figh…
Masks are a thing of the past for most Americans. Even though a lot of people are still catching and spreading COVID these days, masking has pretty much faded away as a precautionary measure against c…
Vaccine Committee Bans Mercury (Thimerosal) from…
A CDC advisory panel recommended on June 25, 2025, that the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal be removed from influenza vaccines. In theory, only about 4% of flu shots contain thimerosol. Tha…
Show 1433: What Are the Hidden Dangers in the Ai…
In this episode, our guest, award-winning science journalist Carl Zimmer, describes the hidden dangers in the air we breathe. He begins with the concept of the aerobiome–the collection of living thi…
Has CDC Cut Back on Infectious Disease Info?
How well is the CDC communicating about infectious diseases these days? An NPR analysis suggests that this public health agency has cut back on infectious disease info and alerts to health professiona…
Birds, Cows, CATS and People Suffer H5N1 Influen…
"Bird flu" continues to pose challenges for public health officials. They remain concerned about the potential for person-to-person transmission of H5N1 influenza. This strain of influenza has been ci…
Show 1424: Breathing Better Despite Pollution, I…
This week, we talk with a pulmonologist–a doctor who takes care of people with lung problems. Our topics range from common respiratory infections to the hazards of breathing smoke from forest fires.…
Stay Home When Sick…Unless You Are A Healt…
The CDC urges most people who come down with flu symptoms to "stay home and avoid contact with others except to get medical care." You could extend that advice to just about all communicable diseases …
The Sexdemic: Why Infections Seem Worse Than Eve…
Many Americans gathered with friends and family over the holidays. That meant hugs and togetherness. There have also been sporting events. College basketball is a big deal where we live. Duke and UNC …
Should You Worry About Norovirus or Germs on You…
Do you pay attention when you visit your local coffee shop? Can you observe the person who fills your mug or places the lid on your paper cup? Does that person wear disposable gloves? Are the gloves c…
Will Xofluza Help You Recover from the Flu Faste…
According to the CDC, seasonal influenza activity remains elevated across most of the country. Doctors often prescribe oseltamivir, also known by the brand name Tamiflu, to try to help patients recove…
Show 1369: What to Do If You Catch the Flu (Arch…
This week, we hear from pulmonologist Roger Seheult, MD, about ways we can strengthen our immune responses to respiratory infections. Seasonal influenza activity is high and still rising in most parts…
Home Remedies or Brand Names for the Common Cold…
Doctors have abbreviations for anything that causes coughing, sneezing, sore throat, congestion and/or runny nose: URTI (upper respiratory tract infection) or the shorter version URI (upper respirator…
Are There Dangerous Viruses in the Air You Breat…
I know that you have almost suppressed the memory of the pandemic. If COVID-19 taught us anything, though, it is that air quality matters! Most people would prefer not to catch a respiratory infection…
First Home Flu Vaccine Approved Is Not a Shot
When we mention vaccines, most people think of a shot at a clinic, pharmacy or doctor’s office. Next year, many Americans will be able to get their flu vaccines at home. It won’t be a shot though;…