# Virus/flu



## dlane (Jan 26, 2018)

Just getting over this flu virus it has been a SOB ,before this i haven’t been sick for 20 years. Seems like everybody I know has had it , dose have it , or is getting it , all over the United States. This thing is killing what seems like lots of people country wide ,
hospitals are packed everywhere because of it . 
My feeling is it’s not normal or natural for a virus/flu to infect the whole country as this one has. 
The conspiracy side of me says that a different country sent it to us on purpose, say one that most all of our stuff comes from now, 
Thoughts


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## David S (Jan 26, 2018)

Did you have the flu shot?  Despite the best science they have they still have to try and predict what strain of virus will be prevalent in the upcoming flu season, however from what I have heard around here they didn't get it as accurately as they have in the recent past.

Could this be part of the problem?

David


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## dlane (Jan 26, 2018)

Never had the flu shot before, and as stated haven’t been sick in 20 yrs till this thing
I may try one next year


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## David S (Jan 26, 2018)

We are over 70 so have been having the flu shots for the past number of years..although never did have the flu before or since.  They are free here so might as well.

Oh and I am glad that you are on the mend.  I know of a couple of older folks who are struggling to survive after catching it.

David


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## Dredb (Jan 26, 2018)

There's a lot of it over here, some friends had it over the holiday. It seems to come back for seconds in case it didn't kill you the first time! Very nasty bug!


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## Firestopper (Jan 26, 2018)

Kicked my a$$ for two weeks. Like the saying goes, "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger". I stopped the flu shots when I separated from the military many moons ago. Too risky IMO for a strain prediction only. dlane, glad you recovered. 
I will add one important symptom to take very serious and never delay treatment. Shortness of breath (SOB) with a productive cough, especially if it gets worse when laying flat. This has claimed several lives in otherwise healthy folks in short order.

Stay healthy my friends.


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## middle.road (Jan 26, 2018)

It can also take out your cardio. Something I have to be all too aware of.
There's a report out today that it is hitting 'Baby-Boomers' especially hard. Well gang - that's a number of us.
This season strikes me personally as being a bit out of the 'norm'. 
Read up on it and be informed. " Simple Google News search on 'Flu 2018'  "
There's no need to become a statistic if you can avoid it. . .


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## brino (Jan 26, 2018)

Derrick, it's the same up here. 
This one is worse than the last few years.


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## kvt (Jan 26, 2018)

Glad you recovered.   and flue is not good.  I have been getting my flue shots.   the worst one I had was H1N1, wife was the first confirmed case reported in SA and I was prob close behind her.  That one knocked the S--- out of us.  And this one seems to be hitting just as bad if not worse so take care.   And if you have the shortness of breath get to the doctor,  especially if you are prone to problems Pneumonia or such,   it just makes things worse.


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## RJSakowski (Jan 26, 2018)

dlane said:


> Just getting over this flu virus it has been a SOB ,before this i haven’t been sick for 20 years. Seems like everybody I know has had it , dose have it , or is getting it , all over the United States. This thing is killing what seems like lots of people country wide ,
> hospitals are packed everywhere because of it .
> My feeling is it’s not normal or natural for a virus/flu to infect the whole country as this one has.
> The conspiracy side of me says that a different country sent it to us on purpose, say one that most all of our stuff comes from now,
> Thoughts


The Spanish Flu pandemic 100 years ago killed between 50 and 100 million people or 3% of the world's population.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic


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## dlane (Jan 26, 2018)

Don’t think this one came from Spain , probably a diferant part of the world we rely on , they mostly ware masks there.


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## vocatexas (Jan 26, 2018)

I was down over a week right after Christmas with it. Still have a cough I can't get rid of.

I heard on the radio that there seems to be more people that actually HAD the flu shot getting this than those who didn't. I'm one of those who didn't. Never had a flu shot and don't care to start now. If it's only a guess at what strain you're going to get, I'll take my chances.


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## dlane (Jan 26, 2018)

I’m thinking China strain


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## RJSakowski (Jan 27, 2018)

A big problem is our global transportation system.  People, not even realizing that they are contagious, can be halfway around the world in less than a day.  There is virtually no way of stopping spread of these bugs.  
I am fortunate in being retired and living in a rural area.  My contact with others is limited to a run for supplies once every ten days or so.  No grandkids attending those incubators known as schools.  I stay away from hospitals and clinics.  For good measure, a couple of shots of brandy for germ control.


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## British Steel (Jan 28, 2018)

dlane said:


> Just getting over this flu virus it has been a SOB ,before this i haven’t been sick for 20 years. Seems like everybody I know has had it , dose have it , or is getting it , all over the United States. This thing is killing what seems like lots of people country wide ,
> hospitals are packed everywhere because of it .
> My feeling is it’s not normal or natural for a virus/flu to infect the whole country as this one has.
> The conspiracy side of me says that a different country sent it to us on purpose, say one that most all of our stuff comes from now,
> Thoughts



Don't forget that the Spanish Flu (1918? Patient Zero though to have been in Etaples, France, spread to Fort Riley, Kansas) killed more than WW1 (estimated 20 - 50 million worldwide, from the Arctic to the Pacific Islands), long before anyone had thought of engineering bio weapons - they'd been used for quite some time though, e.g. Smallpox-contaminated blankets handed out to native Americans.

I think any time population pressure and contact reach high levels it's likely that epidemics / pandemics will occur, and transport links mean that a virus can be on the other side of the globe long before its host shows symptoms - NOWHERE is more than 72 hours away, even if you do the last 100 miles by pack mule or camel. And Flu viruses are one of the fastest-mutating life-forms on our planet, so one year's vaccine may be ineffective against the next's virus 

Dave H. )the other one)


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## Terrywerm (Jan 28, 2018)

Friend of mine down in Des Moines is fighting it right now and having one heck of a time with it. The saddest news though is of a local family whose 17 year old son went to bed one evening, sick with the flu (don't know if he was under a doctor's care or not) and was found dead in his bed the next morning. 

It's nothing to fool around with, folks.


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## CluelessNewB (Jan 28, 2018)

vocatexas said:


> I heard on the radio that there seems to be more people that actually HAD the flu shot getting this than those who didn't.



Nope not true.   Personally I trust the Scientists and Doctors at the CDC more than the purveyors of garbage news on infotainment conspiracy radio programs, but that's just me.


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## kvt (Jan 28, 2018)

There are multiple strains of the flew going around.   The shot helps with a lot, but as stated it does not always catch some of them that turn out to be nasty little bugers.   The other problem is you do not know which one you have until you get tested and the results take to long for treatment to be real affective.  So they have to treat based off what you tell them.   So if you have to go to the doctor tell them.   Fill in the gaps, it may help, especially if you do not normally see a doctor, or the same doctor.   Since I am prone to Pneumonia I have to catch it early, and tell the doctors, as rarely do I see my normal doctor when I do an urgent appointment.


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## eugene13 (Jan 31, 2018)

Glad I live way out in the middle of nowhere.  Read Stephen Kings "The Stand"


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## middle.road (Feb 1, 2018)

Son (30yo) caught it and in 3 days it's in his lungs...


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## kvt (Feb 1, 2018)

middle.road said:


> Son (30yo) caught it and in 3 days it's in his lungs...


Sorry to hear that,   I did get my shot this year and guess what,   Started off though wife had given me her cold then thing something else now watching it as starting to feel like chest congestion is starting.


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## chips&more (Feb 1, 2018)

Sorry to hear. I have never had a flu shot and don’t plan to any time soon. I have a friend at 97 years young. He also has never had a flu shot. I hear stories from both sides. Get a flu shot...never had a flu shot. And then they officially put “fake news” in the dictionary! I’m going into my shop and close the door behind me, thank you…Dave.


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## dlane (Feb 1, 2018)

After having it for a couple days it got so bad when I layed down I couldn’t stop coughing ,
anything I coughed up got spit out And it was a lot . Starting to get back to normal now ,
I didn’t go to a doctor “didn’t want to get sicker”
Y’all be carful with this thing.


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## 34_40 (Feb 1, 2018)

I've had this mess since a week after Xmas.  Mostly past the fever and achy stages, now it's the coughing, And Coughing... And Coughing!!
One night I was coughing for so long and so hard that my Dutch Shepard dog was upset/scared and kept trying to crawl into my lap and she was shivering and scared... totally upset.  That finally passed and eventually I could actually lay down to sleep.  Now it's just sporadic coughing fits and phlegm.  I am usually asked if I want a shot when I visit my docs...  I usually decline. But not anymore! I'll try anything to help keep this from happening again!


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