Everything you need to know about the deadly flu epidemic sweeping the US

AP Photo/Susan Walsh

Flu experts agree: the 2017-2018 flu season may not be a full-blown pandemic, but it sure is nasty.

The flu is widespread across 49 US states right now. It's the first time scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that's ever happened in their 13 years of tracking the flu. The epidemic has been an especially tough one for baby boomers, and officials at the CDC say that could be in part because they weren't exposed to this year's most agressive H3N2 strain as children.

It's nearly impossible to predict how this flu season will end, because flu viruses never follow predictable models from year to year.

Still, there are a few simple things we can do to stay healthy and safe this season. Here's what you need to know about the flu: