Jan 28, 2025 · Flu, also called influenza, is an infection of the nose, throat and lungs, which are part of the respiratory system. The flu is caused by a virus. Influenza viruses are different from the "stomach flu" viruses that cause diarrhea and vomiting. Most people with the flu …

Jul 22, 2023 · Symptoms of COVID-19 and the flu appear at different times and have some differences. COVID-19 symptoms generally appear 2 to 14 days after exposure. Flu symptoms usually appear about 1 to 4 days after exposure. COVID-19 and flu spread and severity. COVID-19 appears to be contagious for a longer time and to spread more quickly than the flu.

Oct 4, 2024 · Getting a flu vaccine is the best way to prevent the flu and its complications for almost everyone. The flu vaccine can lower the risk of getting the flu. It also can lower the risk of having serious illness from the flu and needing to stay in the hospital or dying of the flu.

Call your healthcare professional if you think you have the flu and you or someone you're caring for is at high risk of serious flu illness, or flu-related complications. Unlike a cold, the flu tends to come on suddenly and makes you feel much worse than a cold.

Oct 16, 2024 · Influenza (flu) and COVID-19 are both highly contagious respiratory illnesses. COVID-19 is caused by infection with a coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), and flu is caused by infection with an influenza virus. The best way to protect yourself from either of these illnesses is …

The flu pandemic lasts from 1918 to 1920. From spring of 1918 to spring of 1919, the flu causes more than 550,000 deaths in the U.S. and more than 20 million deaths worldwide. In the fall of 1918 at Mayo Clinic, people with the flu and other contagious illnesses are cared for in the isolation hospital.

Jan 18, 2022 · The most common way to develop viral gastroenteritis — often called stomach flu — is through contact with an infected person or by consuming contaminated food or water. If you're otherwise healthy, you'll likely recover without complications.

Jun 8, 2024 · Flu viruses in other animals, such as birds, may be a risk to people. Learn more about the symptoms, causes, prevention and treatment for bird flu in people.

Nov 27, 2024 · COVID-19 can cause more-serious illnesses in some people than can the flu. Also, COVID-19 can cause different complications from those of the flu. Medicines called antivirals can help the body fight off viruses. A few have been approved to treat COVID-19, and others are approved to treat the flu.

Jan 28, 2025 · To diagnose the flu, also called influenza, your healthcare professional does a physical exam, looks for symptoms of flu and possibly orders a test that detects flu viruses. The viruses that cause flu spread at high levels during certain times of the year in the Northern and Southern hemispheres.