Each year influenza causes significant morbidity and mortality including up to 647,000 hospitalizations and 61,200 deaths during the 2018-19 respiratory season in the United States alone. Because symptoms of different respiratory diseases often overlap, influenza diagnostic testing plays an important role in the differential diagnosis and clinical management of these patients. Moreover, prompt diagnosis is […]
Archives for June 2020
RSV: A Grown-up Challenge
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection has long been associated with acute respiratory illness in children and a significant cause of hospitalization of infants less than 1 year of age worldwide. Recently, studies have also elucidated the clinical impact of RSV infections in adult populations, with the risk of serious infection increasing with age (Falsey). RSV […]
The emotional stories of families whose lives have been permanently altered by the flu.
Leon Sidari was a healthy four-year-old from Dayton, Ohio with an infectious smile. He was a beloved brother and the son of two physicians. He was known as an “old soul” with patience and gentleness beyond his age. Leon first became sick on December 23, 2017. His illness began with general symptoms including a fever […]