Flu Season Approaches the Northern Hemisphere: Questions and Guidance for Fevers

 Flu season is nearing an end in the Southern Hemisphere, and data indicates that seasonal flu continues to pose a significant threat, causing many illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths across the globe. As the flu season ramps up in the Northern Hemisphere, what can we learn from the south? 

During their flu season most countries in the southern half of the globe experienced similar levels of flu activity compared to trends observed in prior seasons (2017‒2019 and 2022‒2023 flu seasons). While activity has varied across the Southern Hemisphere during the 2024 flu season, what remains consistent across regions is the significant illness and hospitalizations associated with flu. 

What You and Your Family Need to Know about Fevers and the Flu 

  • Tips: It’s cold and flu season, here is what RN Linda Ciampa recommends that you have at your house to get you through the season.
  • Removing Confusion: When should you be concerned about newborn or child’s temperature? Here are guidelines from Dr. Ellen Rome – Cleveland Clinic that will help you decide what to do.  
  • Kids and Fevers: Parents are often concerned about when to do when their child has a fever. Here is guidance from Academy of Pediatrics’ Dr. Laura Jana. 

How to take Accurate Temperatures As we enter the Flu Season, one key to distinguishing between a common cold or the flu can be a high fever. The right diagnosis makes a difference in treatment and usually means faster relief thus accurate temperatures are essential. Exergen’s Temporal Artery Thermometer provides non-intrusive, quick, and accurate body temperature readings and is available for home or professional use.  RN Linda Ciampa likes Exergen’s temporal thermometer because it is fast, accurate and less invasive than a normal thermometer.  

How to take a temperature like a Pro:   

Why Exergen?  

Exergen’s Temporal Artery Thermometers (TAT), use infrared technology to detect the heat naturally emitting from the skin surface. In addition, this method incorporates a patented arterial heat balance system to automatically account for the effects of ambient temperature on the skin. It is designed for doctors and nurses for use in hospitals and clinics.  

Listen to Dr. David Greenes of Boston Childrens Hospital and Harvard Medical School, the lead author of a clinical study of Exergen’s Temporal Artery Thermometer, was interviewed by National Public Radio. You can listen here Dr. David Greenes – Boston Children’s Hospital. 

Sources:  

 EXERGEN P/N 850273, Rev 1