The Flu: Nothing to Sneeze About!

Time Stamps

00:00 Podcast Intro

01:00 How is influenza different from other respiratory infections, such as the common cold?

02:02 Why is influenza such a big deal? Many people think about influenza for different reasons, but how can we hit this home for the everyday person?

04:43 Can we unpack the idea of getting vaccinations, specifically getting vaccinations every year?

06:36 Can you address some of the common misperceptions when it comes to getting the flu vaccine? 

11:02 Who should see their doctor when they exhibit flu-like symptoms?

12:36 How is the influenza test changing?

14:45 The idea of point-of-care testing that bridges the patient/clinical practice and the laboratory supporting that practice caring for that patient. Can you discuss what some of the logistics and challenges are that come in to point-of-care testing?

16:02 What does it mean in regards to treatment of influenza with having a more sensitive test that is rapidly available?

 17:55 How are we spreading this knowledge to all of our physicians so they can understand how to make the decision of who needs be treated and why?

19:23 Are there any questions or feedback that either of you have gotten from other physicians or nurses on this topic that surprised you?

21:25 Is there a future state on the horizon where you think we may not need to be getting the influenza shot every year?

23:57 This podcast is really centered on building bridges between the clinical world and the lab world. Would you mind sharing a story that highlights where this collaboration has really helped the patient? 

26:47 I’m curious, for the trainees in your program, how are they trained/mentored on crossing the boundaries between the clinical and laboratory?

28:59 Is there anything you would like to add that we haven’t talked about so far?

Additional resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm