Flu season of 2017-2018

[Dotini]

The reports of epidemic levels of flu are coming in so fast that it's difficult to keep track of them. Alarming stories of school closures and long waits in hospitals and clinics are seen. Otherwise healthy infants, children and young people seem to be particularly vulnerable. Deaths are occurring.

If you have suffered this flu, or if the flu is becoming a problem in your area, please make a brief post in this thread. Note symptoms and effective remedies and medications.

I'm unsure of exactly what I caught, but in November I had by far the worst head cold in the 7 decades of my life. All I could do was sleep 18-20 hours a day for the better part of a week, taking a liquid diet, losing 10 lbs and taking lots of Ibuprofen.

en bonne santé

 

[Dennisch]

I lost 4 kilo in 2,5 days last year during Christmas. By far the worst flu I ever experienced.

It seems that this year I'm dodging that bullet.

 

[Famine]

Deaths are occurring.

As they do every year. Influenza is still a deadly disease.

 

[Imari]

Otherwise healthy infants, children and young people seem to be particularly vulnerable. Deaths are occurring.

Welcome to Planet Earth. Influenza kills hundreds of thousands of people a year. Every year. Mostly older or very young people, but not exclusively.

Vaccines exist, but they're prepared months before flu season with only a guess at which strains will be most common. They're not infallible, and if the doctors making the vaccine don't accurately predict the strains for the season then the vaccine will do nothing to lower the death rate. But it's better than nothing and often offers at least some protection. As an older person yourself, you might want to look into getting one next year if you don't already. It's becoming a common recommendation for at risk groups as the most effective measure to avoid serious illness or death.

Young people are vulnerable because their immune systems haven't been trained to the same extent as adults. Elderly people are vulnerable because their immune systems tend to get weaker with age. Fundamentally, the only real protection we have against influenza is our own immune systems.

This year has being a relatively rough one, but that's how evolution and statistics work. Every year is not the same as the last. I've managed to dodge it this year myself, but a few years ago I had one that basically took me out for a week. I had a ridiculous fever and didn't know whether I was coming or going. It seems like just a thing, you can expect to get at least the sniffles most years and you can expect to get hammered every five to ten.

If you happen to work with children or in close contact with large groups of people, you're pretty much guaranteed every year. Sucks for teachers.

 

[ThrasherDBS]

I work at a hospital, and we have been absolutely slammed with these folks. I've got the vaccine for the year (thankfully my hospital provides that for the employees at no cost to them), but from what I've heard, this year's guess wasn't even close to what was actually out there. On average, we have a couple of isolation rooms per unit, usually one or two in the critical care unit where I work, but right now, we've got pretty much half our capacity dedicated to isolation rooms, courtesy of this wave.

It's scary, man.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I guess 8 people have died in my county so far from this. Probably going to avoid places with large amounts of people for a bit.

 

[FerrariF1GT]

There hasn't been much activity here in Wisconsin, thankfully. I've never received the vaccine, but I haven't ever been sick with the flu for as long as I can remember, not even the 2009-10 outbreak.

As always, be sure to do everything you can to prevent yourself from getting sick. Wash your hands with soap regularly. Avoid contact with your eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Stay away from areas where you could be close to lots of people at a time. I can't guarantee that you won't get sick, however.

 

[ryzno]

We've had 4 deaths here in GA.
I've been feeling sick and taking anything and everything to keep it from getting worse.

 

[Robin]

After not getting sick Cold/Flu wise for many years I'm starting to get sick now due to the amount and strength of it going around.

Really sucks but I guess this is the future reality of an ever more populated planet and ever stronger virus mutations.

 

[CTznOfTime]

Reading this thread, it would seem it was premonitory.

Could it get worse maybe in the future... Does this have anything to do with global warming?

 

[PeterJB]

Reading this thread, it would seem it was premonitory.

Could it get worse maybe in the future... Does this have anything to do with global warming?

Flu tends to spread easier in colder weather so I'm gonna say no...

 

[TenEightyOne]

Reading this thread, it would seem it was premonitory.

Because 'flu is an issue every year? I agree, incredible.

 

[MaxAttack]

Reading this thread, it would seem it was premonitory.

Well that's a bit of a leap...

Could it get worse maybe in the future... Does this have anything to do with global warming?

And that's a bit more than a bit of a leap!

10/10 Necropost, would scratch my head in confusion again.

 

[Dotini]

Reading this thread, it would seem it was premonitory.

Could it get worse maybe in the future... Does this have anything to do with global warming?

Yes, IMHO it will get worse in the immediate future. But in lieu of global warming, let's call it climate change. IMHO, the answer is an emphatic yes that climate change is the, or at least one reason. More humans (population) packed closer together and traveling often obviously also has something to do with it.

My particular take is that pathogens, viruses (and indeed all cellular DNA) are mutating at a higher rate due to sharply increased levels of cosmic rays reaching Earth's surface. Over 18% increase in 5 years. Cosmic rays are increasing due to shrinkage in protective magnetic fields around the Sun, the Earth and the solar system. This particular aspect of climate change certainly has more to due with natural cycles than with human activity. Nothing we can do can stop it.

Behold, peer reviewed science evidence linking cosmic rays to viral mutation.

General links to cosmic rays and viral mutations:

5. https://www.longdom.org/open-access...nomaly-before-hn-outbreak-2332-2594-2-113.pdf

6. https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/co...he-historic-solar-minimum-cause-the-pandemic/

7. https://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/115/03/0382.pdf <-- Here be opinion by the dreaded Wickramsinghe

8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20624059

9. https://www.technologyreview.com/20...-neutrons-and-the-mutation-rate-in-evolution/

10. https://juniperpublishers.com/ijcsmb/pdf/IJCSMB.MS.ID.555636.pdf

11.https://thescipub.com/abstract/10.3844/ajidsp.2005.116.123

12. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323800049_Was_the_Zika_virus_Outbreak_in_2015_Triggered_by_Cosmic_Event

13. https://www.researchgate.net/public...tic_Field_Cosmic_Rays_and_Zika_Virus_Outbreak

 

[TexRex]

Could it get worse maybe in the future... Does this have anything to do with global warming?

See what you did?