Sick Again - Will It Ever End? A Flu Season Report

In my personal training, I had a nice little pre-spring streak going. 5 days of training after a lay-off of nearly 3 weeks. The days are getting longer and the weather is full of endorphin raising sunshine. So why stop a good thing? Flu season is why. It isn't over yet. Reports from the Centers for Disease Contol and Prevention indicated that although influenza activity has declined this week by 21%, the proportion of patient visits to sentinel providers for influenza-like illness (ILI) has been above the national baseline for seven consecutive weeks. How does this compare to last year? Let's compare the two.

2004

2005

Graphics from www.cdc.gov

It appears that we are in a lengthened season this year. I know that I have felt the effects. Thanks to BeginnerTriathlete.com I found an article that gives a good rule of thumb for exercising during this bitter-sweet time of year. A Triathlete's Guide to Cold and Flu Season

Wish me luck.