Saturday, March 28, 2020

Loss...

New Hanover County offers free flu vaccines
Last fall and winter, the U.S. went through one of the most severe flu seasons in recent memory. It was driven by a kind of flu that tends to put more people in the hospital and cause more deaths, particularly among young children and the elderly.
The season peaked in early February. It was mostly over by the end of March, although some flu continued to circulate.
Making a bad year worse, the flu vaccine didn’t work very well. Experts nevertheless say vaccination is still worth it, because it makes illnesses less severe and save lives.
Conclusion. CDC estimates that influenza was associated with more than 35.5 million illnesses, more than 16.5 million medical visits, 490,600 hospitalizations, and 34,200 deaths during the 2018–2019 influenza season.
So compare the Flu and the Corona.

New Test...

US lab rolls out 5-minute portable Covid-19 test usable anywhere ...


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued Emergency Use Authorization to Illinois-based medical device maker Abbott Labs for a coronavirus test that delivers positive results in as little as five minutes and negative results in 13 minutes, the company said.
The company expects the tests to be available next week and expects to ramp up manufacturing to deliver 50,000 tests per day.
"I am pleased that the FDA authorized Abbott's point of care test yesterday. This is big news and will help get more of these tests out in the field rapidly," said FDA Commissioner Steve Hahn in a statement.

"We know how important it is to get point of care tests out in the field quickly. These tests that can give results quickly can be a game changer in diagnosing COVID-19."

This test is revolutionary in many aspects
*Quick test and results.
*Less contact between healthcare providers, patients and other patients in the ER.