We know the flu can be fatal – after all, we’re hearing almost weekly updates on the news about the casualties from the current flu season, no thanks mostly to the H3N2 strain, which reared its ugly head this year.
While most people who get the flu won’t need to seek medical attention, some cases will go sideways and can lead to dangerous symptoms. Here are 12 ways flu can get out of hand and possibly lead to death…
1. Second Wave
Those who recover from influenza aren’t out of the woods yet, as there are secondary infections that can present even worse symptoms. ABC News says the most common secondary infections are bacterial pneumonia, bacterial sinusitis or bacterial otitis.
While flu viruses aren’t responsive to drug therapies (aside from antivirals that are effective up to 48-hours after symptoms appear), the “good news” is that these secondary bacterial infections usually respond to antimicrobial therapy, which can kill of bacteria or fungi, it adds.
