A new flu strain could strike suddenly and severely

 

It causes a rapid deterioration in health, triggering a high fever and severe weakness in a matter of hours, noted infectious disease specialist.

Those who fall ill are advised to stay home, maintain social distance, wear a mask in crowded places, and ventilate rooms.

 The dominant new flu strain driving global concern is subclade K, a highly mutated variant of the seasonal Influenza A (H3N2) virus.

  The mutations allow the virus to spread rapidly and sustain high activity, causing earlier seasonal peaks in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America.

 Health agencies like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention heavily urge early vaccination before the traditional winter peak, noting that it takes about two weeks for the body to build full antibody protection.