Flu Season Expected To Linger: Here's What You Need To Know

(CBS DETROIT) -- Experts say the flu season is expected to linger for an extended period of time this year.

As more cases for Influenza B climb, doctors are keeping a watchful eye on the powerful strain.

Dr. Earlexia Norwood is the family medicine service chief at Henry Ford Hospital in Bloomfield.

She says although the coronavirus is causing concerns worldwide more people are diagnosed with the flu.

The virus infects over 35 million Americans per year, causing 30,000 deaths.

"I want you to watch for fever that's not going away or caused by no known reason. Getting fever chills, nausea, vomiting, body aches all over, nasal drainage and congestion. Ear pain and just feeling a sense of blah. It's a good sign that you may have more than just a cold, that you have the flu. At one point, Michigan was the second-largest outbreak in the country for the flu and Influenza B is the prominent strain this year," said Norwood.

Physicians say the flu shot is the number one recommendation to prevent the spread of the virus.

Keeping your hands clean can also reduce the chance of infection.

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