The Flu Virus !!!!!!!!!

[gtfpv]

i'm feeling a bit better today, but not good enough for work . maybe tomorrow which would be 7 days. but i guess the best thing wold be another 3 days off and back to work next monday. but guilt always gets me . everyone seems to think if your 50% better your on the mend and ready to go back , even the doctors.

[mattp]

Originally Posted by XRchic

If you think you have the flu, specifically Influenza Type A, you need to go to the doc and have swap. They need to be able to identify it through tests to make sure you do or dont have it. It is very contagious too, so its best to stay home away from people. It has proven to be lethal to small kids too - a 2 year old died from it here a few weeks ago.

What will the swab achieve? Of all the people who get the 'flu the huge majority will have influenza A, so getting a positive swab does nothing towards altering management. People talk about influenza A like it's AIDS; the deaths always hit the press in a big way, and whilst tragic they are extremely rare. If you're worried, or have ongoing heart or lung problems, see the doc, but otherwise panadol, fluids and bed rest are on the menu for 'flu treatment. As an aside, antibiotics do NOTHING for the 'flu, it's a virus, they only work for bacterial infections.

[XRchic]

Originally Posted by mattp

What will the swab achieve? Of all the people who get the 'flu the huge majority will have influenza A, so getting a positive swab does nothing towards altering management. People talk about influenza A like it's AIDS; the deaths always hit the press in a big way, and whilst tragic they are extremely rare. If you're worried, or have ongoing heart or lung problems, see the doc, but otherwise panadol, fluids and bed rest are on the menu for 'flu treatment. As an aside, antibiotics do NOTHING for the 'flu, it's a virus, they only work for bacterial infections.

The swap identifies the strain of the virus. This enables authorities to keep some kind of record of where the serious strains are and who it is affecting, it gives the patient (or the patient's parents) a chance to avoid other people in their family who may be vulnerable to it, and it enables them to inform childcare centres etc...

From what I was aware Flu A was rather more serious than the other strains, so while it cannot be fixed with medication, knowing where it is can prevent it's spread.

There were two kids at our son's childcare who had Flu A and a notice came home to us warning us that there was an outbreak and to keep an eye out for the following symptoms or even keep our kids at home if we felt the need.

It also does alter how you treat the person in question, especially from a parent's perspective. Not everyone can tell if their child has a cold, the flu or flu A and therefore may not be as vigilant as they might be if they knew. If I was aware my son had that strain, I would be much more likely to be keeping his temp down, giving him Panadol, keeping more of an eye on him.... and also keepig him away from childcare and other people.

Knowledge is power really.

I never did suggest that antibiotics were a cure for the flu either, everyone knows the difference between viral and bacterial infections. The only time an antibiotic would be indicated with someone who had the flu or a cold would be if a secondary infection developed, such as a chest infection, tonsilitis, ear infection, etc, etc...

Cheers

Jac

[Van D]

Originally Posted by ebxr8240

As soon as I feel like I'm getting over it.. It comes back....

Same with me. Just took a couple days off work start of last week. Came back to work and was feeling pretty good. Woke up yesterday feeling pretty crap, sore throat, no energy, headache etc. Today it just got worse :togo:

[Hunter]

Originally Posted by mattp

What will the swab achieve? Of all the people who get the 'flu the huge majority will have influenza A, so getting a positive swab does nothing towards altering management. People talk about influenza A like it's AIDS; the deaths always hit the press in a big way, and whilst tragic they are extremely rare.

Public health officials are expecting a very large pandemic to strike us at some point... remember that the Spanish flu of 1918 killed more people than World War I itself! Its very important to keep track of things - I'd wager the number of people dying from AIDS in Australia is probably lower than that of flu complications (people seem to forget that the elderly die of flu and flu related complications all the time).

The 1918 flu pandemic, commonly referred to as the Spanish flu, was a category 5 influenza pandemic caused by an unusually severe and deadly Influenza A virus strain of subtype H1N1. Many of its victims were healthy young adults, in contrast to most influenza outbreaks which predominantly affect juvenile, elderly, or otherwise weakened patients.

The Spanish flu pandemic lasted from 1918 to 1919, spreading even to the Arctic and remote Pacific islands. While older estimates put the number of killed at 40–50 million people, current estimates are that 50 million to 100 million people worldwide died, possibly more than that taken by the Black Death. This extraordinary toll resulted from the extremely high infection rate of up to 50% and the extreme severity of the symptoms, suspected to be caused by cytokine storms. Between 2 and 20% of those infected by Spanish flu died, as opposed to the normal flu epidemic mortality rate of 0.1%. Unusually, the epidemic mostly killed young adults, with 99% of pandemic influenza deaths occurring in people under 65, and more than half in young adults 20 to 40 years old.

Its important that our public health officials keep a vigilant eye because when the next 'big' virus hits us, the quicker they act, the quicker it can be slowed or even stopped. Remember that nowadays international and domestic air travel have made it so much easier for viruses to spread - back in the days of spanish flu most people traveled by ship and even then it was able to kill so many people. We're probably only as secure as we are today thanks to public health advances around the world.

If you're worried, or have ongoing heart or lung problems, see the doc, but otherwise panadol, fluids and bed rest are on the menu for 'flu treatment. As an aside, antibiotics do NOTHING for the 'flu, it's a virus, they only work for bacterial infections.

Yep, unless you end up with a secondary bacterial infection (which can happen but not always) then antibiotics are pointless and will probably make you feel even worse (or get the runs/nausea). Rest, water and good food are the best things for flu and other cold viruses.

[Hunter]

Oh and how's this for nasty:

This huge death toll was caused by an extremely high infection rate of up to 50% and the extreme severity of the symptoms, suspected to be caused by cytokine storms.[2] Indeed, symptoms in 1918 were so unusual that initially influenza was misdiagnosed as dengue, cholera, or typhoid. One observer wrote, "One of the most striking of the complications was hemorrhage from mucous membranes, especially from the nose, stomach, and intestine. Bleeding from the ears and petechial hemorrhages in the skin also occurred."[3] The majority of deaths were from bacterial pneumonia, a secondary infection caused by influenza, but the virus also killed people directly, causing massive hemorrhages and edema in the lung.[1]

[gngtho]

Went to work last week on thurs but by 9 i had to be driven home had no energy at all bad sore eyes couldn't stop coughing, and the worst headache ever.

only got back to work today, thought i was ok but no luck, think i need more rest.

this thing is bad, but on the bright side its the first ever time i have had it, and hope it will be over soon...........

[mattp]

thanks for the tute hunter and xrchic

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by mattp

thanks for the tute hunter and xrchic

aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhahaha hahahahah.

if they only new hey!!!!!

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by rodderz

Gastro seems to be doing the rounds too, me and the missus had it a few weeks ago and it's twice as bad as I've ever had it before, didnt know I had it till I got up then realised I needed a spew. Joints felt that bad it was as though I had been belted senseless with a cricket bat, a young bloke that works for me rang the other day to say he had been hospitalised with it last weekend due to dehydration

Wife and I have had it already .... and I managed to shake it (had it for 6 days ... and lost about a kilo a day as well from it). The WORST stomach cramps I have ever had ... it was hell ... and the headaches and neck/shoulder stiffness along with joint pain was awful.

I now have it again ... about a month later ... except this time the stomach cramps aren't as bad.

It's been a hell of a year this year ... my wife has the normal "Flu" at the moment ... while I have the gastro bug again.

This time instead of taking time off I just battled through it and kept working ... probably feel better for it actually. Having to find a toilet quickly while doing deliveries in Sydney traffic is interesting though.

[Buddy 1]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

Wife and I have had it already .... and I managed to shake it (had it for 6 days ... and lost about a kilo a day as well from it). The WORST stomach cramps I have ever had ... it was hell ... and the headaches and neck/shoulder stiffness along with joint pain was awful.

I now have it again ... about a month later ... except this time the stomach cramps aren't as bad.

It's been a hell of a year this year ... my wife has the normal "Flu" at the moment ... while I have the gastro bug again.

This time instead of taking time off I just battled through it and kept working ... probably feel better for it actually. Having to find a toilet quickly while doing deliveries in Sydney traffic is interesting though.

Sounds reaaly bad Simon, hope you both get getter & stay better soon

Must be all that City living why so many of you are sick

I may regret saying this however my wife & I have been free of disease so far this year : are they famous last words or what :togo: