This winter is one of the worst in terms of flu outbreak.
Even though we are currently in a decline of newer cases of the flu, many people still seem to get confused about what the flu is exactly compared to other common illnesses.
According to an article put out by the Sherpardstown Chronicle, “Influenza is a viral illness that is spread by respiratory droplets released when infected persons cough or sneeze. People who contract the flu develop fever, chills, cough, headache, and fatigue. It is not common for people who have the flu to have nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.” The article continued, “These symptoms are much more commonly seen in patients with other viruses. The illness caused by the flu typically last between 10 and 14 days. People can become very ill and occasionally pneumonia and even meningitis can be seen.”
It is important to know that unlike the common cold or something similar to it, treatment of influenza is very small and limited. Antibiotics cannot treat the flu and there are very few medications that treat any type of viruses. The flu is one of the viruses that has hardly any medications capable of treating it.
“I got the flu this winter and it was miserable,” said freshman Christian Castillo. “I didn’t have it as long as my cousins did, but that was only because I took Tamiflu when they first got sick so that I wouldn’t catch it.”
Fortunately for him, Castillo had it right; Tamiflu is the most commonly used medicine to treat the flu and it works best if you take it within the first 24 to 48 hours that you begin to feel symptoms. No, it doesn’t kill off the virus, but it does shorten the time you will spend hating your body and will also help relieve some of the pain that you will be in. With this being said, the virus still has to pass on its own and will normally take almost two weeks to finally get tired of torturing you.
Nobody wants the flu, so the best way to help prevent yourself from getting it is to constantly wash your hands and keep your hands away from your face. Getting the flu shot wouldn’t hurt, as well. It isn’t 100 percent effective but it will help your chances of staying healthy.
“I hate getting the flu shot because it makes me feel just as sick as I would if I had contracted it in the first place,” said senior Nicholas Lopez.
Although a common misconception, the flu shot doesn’t give you the flu. People may tend to experience headaches, fevers, and muscle aches after getting a shot, but feeling one of those symptoms for a day compared to many more over a two-week period is a pretty decent trade.
The reason many people feel symptoms is because the shot is a string of the virus that has been killed by either chemical or heat. When injected in the body, it doesn’t replicate like the actual flu virus and cannot cause you any real damage.
So even though the flu is currently starting to become un-trending, don’t think that it is too late to get the flu shot to save yourself from two weeks of misery.