This year’s flu season is one of the harshest the US has seen in recent years. According to the CDC, a record number of people – 14,676 – have been hospitalized with the flu since October, the beginning of the flu season. And there are no signs the spread and severity of the flu will be lessening soon.
In Oklahoma, 3,000 people have been hospitalized due to the illness, with 129 dying. That’s one number shy of meeting last year’s number of 130, which set the state’s death toll record.
Pic Credit: Hancockhealthcare.com
Why is the flu so bad this year?
This year’s predominant influenza strain of H3N2 is known to cause more serious cases of the flu, according to the CDC. The H3 virus was also credited with previous severe flu seasons in 2012-2013 and 2014-2015. This particularly severe strain often hits young children and elderly adults mostly severely. Add to the fact a secondary strain of H1N1 has also tested positive in various parts of the country, and you have a season of widespread infection.
How can you prevent the flu?
There are a few simple preventative measures you can take to help safeguard you against the flu:
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Stay physically active.
- Manage your stress.
- Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids.
- Maintain a healthy diet with nutritious foods.
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Cover your mouth with a kleenex when you cough or sneeze.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Wipe down surfaces that may have come into contact with the flu.
What should you do if you have the flu?
Symptoms of the flu include fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle or body aches, headache, and fatigue. If you get the flu, your best option is to stay home, if possible, to help your body with recovery and help curb the spread of the virus.
Doctors can also prescribe antiviral medications, such as Tamiflu, to help with shortening the duration or lessening the severity of the flu. With the widespread reach of this year’s flu outbreak, many pharmacies may run low on supplies. Not only that, but the cost for the treatment at some big box chain pharmacies can reach nearly $200 for the uninsured or even close to a $150 co-pay for the insured.
At GenScripts, we offer the Generic Tamiflu (Oseltamivir) at $79.55. This is a self-pay price so no insurance, discount card, or membership is needed to get this price. Please note: a doctor’s prescription is needed for this medication. Our business model of cutting out the middleman and keeping our overhead costs low equates to incredible savings to our customers.
With our pricing on lots of medications often being lower than most co-pays, we can help you get back your health and get back to life with less expense. Give us a call on any of your medications for a quick price quote over the phone. We have over 1000 medications in stock at low prices.
*Medication Pricing Subject To Change.