������Ƶ

The flu loves breaking the rules and this season is no exception.

Flu cases spiked earlier than normal and the virus that usually closes out the season (influenza B) showed up at the start instead. We’re left with a flu season that’s shaping up to be a bad one. A similarly severe season played out in the Southern Hemisphere, where flu tends to be most active from April to September.

The one thing people can count on during flu season is ������Ƶ’s life-changing technologies to help care for them at all stages of the illness, from prevention (outside the United States only) to rapid diagnosis to .

“������Ƶ is unique in that we have the vaccine outside the U.S. to make sure you don’t get sick, we have the ID NOWTM influenza test when you do have symptoms, and we have Pedialyte to help you rehydrate and feel better faster,” said Norman Moore, Ph.D., director of Scientific Affairs for Infectious Diseases in ������Ƶ’s Rapid Diagnostics business.

Flu’s Far-Reaching Cost

The flu spreads broadly and quickly, with up to 45 million people contracting the illness each year in the U.S. alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Not surprisingly, the global influenza market is vast, valued at about $6 billion and is expected to reach nearly $6.5 billion by 2022, according to BCC Research.

Get a closer look at the far-reaching cost of the flu