# Beware the Flu



## sags (May 15, 2010)

The local health board statistics show no increase in flu cases and yet........... 

Our grandson came home from school with the flu. It was sudden and violent. It spread quickly to all members of the family.

The onslaught is very, very sudden and severe and lasts for 24-36 hours.

I happened to be in the hospital the other evening and the waiting room was full, the inside area was full and there was a 5 hour wait to talk to a doctor and no beds available. There were 8 ambulances stacked up outside and 16 paramedics standing around.

Most of the people in emergency were having severe flu symptoms.

Just saying.......ignore the statistics. The flu is out there. Take precautions. It isn't much fun.

And........everyone had their flu shots. This flu strain is different and the flu shot offers no protection. It may even be making it worse.

My wife works in a retirement home. They are on their third round of shutdown because of the flu outbreak.

Some think it is because of the very mild weather we are having in Ontario. It is 14 degrees currently.

Keep safe folks. Don't touch things and wash hands frequently.........and hope for the best.

PS. We are all in good health and were okay, but it is debilitating, and anyone with health issues should be prepared to call 911 or at least have someone check in on them. The person with this flu is basically incapable of doing anything for themselves for awhile.

It is the worst flu symptoms my wife and I have ever seen from the flu in all our years.


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## olivaw (Nov 21, 2010)

^Hmmm, 

I was in the hospital today for a regular treatment. I didn't see check out the ER but I did notice a very few people wearing masks. Not many, but I have never previously noticed _anybody_ wearing a mask. 

My wife is suffering an infection of some kind. Usually the doc just says to give it time and come back if symptoms persist or worsen. This time my wife was given a prescription immediately. Didn't think much about it until I read your post. 

Hard to know. Fluwatch says:



> - Influenza indicators such as laboratory detections, outbreaks and sentinel influenza-like illness surveillance have been stable or increasing in the past four weeks.
> - Widespread or localized influenza activity was reported in at least one region in all provinces.
> - The percentage of tests positive for influenza has remained relatively stable for the past four weeks (ranging from 23% to 24% of tests positive for influenza).
> - In week 06, 67 laboratory confirmed outbreaks were reported (up from 57 in the previous week); the majority in long-term care facilities and due to influenza A.
> ...


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## new dog (Jun 21, 2016)

I live inRichmond BC and you will always find someone with a mask on here.

My granddaughter got the flu about a month ago and almost died, more so from a virus that also got in that stopped her breathing. Myself personally I have never had a flu shot in my life.


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## Daniel A. (Mar 20, 2011)

Most people really should not be in ER taking up space with the flu stay home unless its a very young child or someone with a compromised immune system.

Personally I get a flu shot every year and practice hand washing often, I've not had the flu in the past twenty years.


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## Karlhungus (Oct 4, 2013)

sags said:


> The local health board statistics show no increase in flu cases and yet...........
> 
> Our grandson came home from school with the flu. It was sudden and violent. It spread quickly to all members of the family.
> 
> ...


Its the Norovirus. My family had it as well, its vicious. No vaccine for it. Washing hands is the best prevention.


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## s1231 (Jan 1, 2017)

Karlhungus said:


> Its the Norovirus. My family had it as well, its vicious. No vaccine for it. Washing hands is the best prevention.


Stomach Flu (Norovirus)
2. In the case of norovirus- nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramping occur.
Most norovirus illnesses last 48 hours but illness can occur for 2-7 days. The person should be STAYING AT HOME  (NOT USING PUBLIC TOILETS!!!!)
and dealing with the nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and/or abdominal pain. 

A person can seek medical care IF they believe they are dehydrated, the symptoms become more severe over time, or if a medical condition affects their ability to fight infections. Most people are told to STAY home, maintain hydration, maintain cleanliness of their shared bathrooms and kitchen items and wait for symptoms to decrease on their own. 
Antibiotics are NOT effective for Norovirus. Dehydration can occur with prolonged episodes of symptoms where the person is unable to keep any fluids in their system; they begin to feel weak and their skin can be loose, and they may need to go to hospital for intravenous fluids to rehydrate.


3. However, most people experience a short period of misery, (called mild symptoms), sleep then slowly begin to feel better. Trying to keep fluids down is important. 

Ill people should not be attending class /work AND DEFINITELY NOT USING PUBLIC TOILETS.
Be aware that most viruses remain HIGHLY contagious until 48 hours after signs and symptoms cease. 

Students with symptoms are asked not to attend class for the 2-7 days of an illness OR 48 hours after symptoms cease. No public washrooms should be used while they are ill and HANDWASHING frequently is a must. For shared toilets in a home, the person should be cleaning the toilet after every use.

^ source --- University of Lethbridge :
http://www.uleth.ca/hr/health-centre/stories/stomach-flu-norovirus


--
Keep it to yourself.
Staying at home and keeping your hands clean can help avoid spreading norovirus to others. You can still be infectious up to 48 hours after your symptoms go, 
so it’s best to avoid seeing other people during that time.
It’s especially important to avoid visiting anyone in a hospital or care home, as norovirus is more serious for people who are already ill.


^ source --- Norovirus: the Winter Vomiting Bug.
http://www.abettermedway.co.uk/aboutus/norovirusstayathome.aspx?theme=print


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## s1231 (Jan 1, 2017)

new dog said:


> I live inRichmond BC and you will always find someone with a mask on here.
> 
> My granddaughter got the flu about a month ago and almost died, more so from a virus that also got in that stopped her breathing. Myself personally I have never had a flu shot in my life.


sounds a really serious. Any other symptoms?


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## heyjude (May 16, 2009)

As a medical professional, I find that many people trivialize common illnesses such as influenza. The real story is that influenza is a major cause of morbidity and mortality every year. 

This year's flu vaccine is ~48% effective. That's double the effectiveness of last year's vaccine. So the vaccine will not protect you 100%, unless the strain of flu you are exposed to is one of the three strains in the vaccine. However, on a population basis, vaccination is associated with many fewer sick and dead people.


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## new dog (Jun 21, 2016)

s1231 said:


> sounds a really serious. Any other symptoms?


She had the flu was sitting up in her bed most of the night but when she laid down that is when her breathing cut out. Luckily my son in law who was a paramedic luckily heard her somehow and went in and did mouth to mouth to start her breathing again. She was rushed to Children's Hospital by ambulance and had a dicey night where they were even considering cutting a hole in the neck to insert a breathing tube.

The lesson here is if your kids have the flu make sure they are close to you and not far away in the house in a bedroom, just in case.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Glad to hear your granddaughter was okay.

When our grandson took ill, his mom brought him to our house because my wife was a nurse and grandma knows how to handle such things.

She slept beside him to keep watch on him. Poor guy was really sick, upset and afraid. Grandma settled him down.

Unfortunately.......grandma caught the bug and was really sick for 2 days. She is 71 and I kept a close eye on her but from another room.

I felt ill for a couple of days, but nothing remotely close to what they felt.

Grandson's mom and dad both got really sick after that...............it just never seems to stop.

Son lost a week's wages because of it and is going to struggle with his bills. It might not matter as he hasn't been paid for his last two weeks paycheck yet........sigh.

Grandma still works p/t at a retirement home to keep active. They called and wanted her to let them know when she can return because they have their third outbreak of the A strain.

It is really tough in retirement homes where so many old people are in contact with each other. The flu just keeps getting passed on over and over.

They have to constantly clean and disinfect everything and sometimes are short staffed themselves.

It surely would be nice to discover a cure for the flu.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

I noticed on the map of flu cases, it seems to be springing up in areas which have warmer than normal temperatures.

I wonder if the weather has something to do with it...........or just a reflection of people being out and in contact more.

Yesterday in Ontario it was 15 degrees C...........6 degrees C above the past historic record of 9.

Maybe the flu virus awakes from it's slumber ?


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## s1231 (Jan 1, 2017)

new dog said:


> She had the flu was sitting up in her bed most of the night but when she laid down that is when her breathing cut out. Luckily my son in law who was a paramedic luckily heard her somehow and went in and did mouth to mouth to start her breathing again. She was rushed to Children's Hospital by ambulance and had a dicey night where they were even considering cutting a hole in the neck to insert a breathing tube.
> 
> The lesson here is if your kids have the flu make sure they are close to you and not far away in the house in a bedroom, just in case.



I'm really glad your granddaughter was ok. 
I see that people experiencing these respiratory problems may have been affected by Influenza A viruses. 
I'll be aware of the respiratory risks of the A strain from now.

One of my family members got a high fever around middle of last Dec. 
It started with a Sore Throat, then body ache & fever. 
I observed many times that fever somewhat benefits of our health from past experience. 
We usually take some suppress fever medicine once we hit 39C. 
We'd checked up the doctor when the fever didn't decrease or stayed a high after the medication.

Anyway, I mention to her to use the fever to help clean the system as much as she can. (sometimes eat sherbet etc to make comfortable)
We've been doing this about 20 years. She understood the benefits of the fever so her mind had still positive during the uncomfortable term.
Our health is influenced & reacted easily by our own positive / negative thoughts. 

We had flu shot one year and it was the only year we experienced constant sickness. 
So after that we don't do the flu shot.

The public should put some effort into keeping the flu from spreading. 
I think the best prevention will be building a strong immune system.
(look after our health, manage stress, eat better, exercise, sleep well, vitaminD from the sun, + look after the eco systems in our body / environment....etc.)

-------------------------
- Emergency signs and symptoms of the flu, H3N2 virus (Jan 20, 2013) :
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/emergency-signs-and-symptoms-of-the-flu-h3n2-virus

For kids, those warning signs include a high fever or a fever that just doesn't seem to go away, trouble breathing or fast breathing.
Changes in skin color, if they have a bluish tone, get to the hospital. 

Also changes in their behavior, if they're not waking up or being so irritable that they don't want to be held, it's time to get to the doctor. 

Dr. Melissa Denham with Patient First says, "One thing you want to look out for is if they start to get better the fever goes away and then they suddenly get worse again,
high fever, worsening cough, short of breath, that could be a sign that it's turning into a bacterial infection like pneumonia which is one of the most common complications of the flu."

–-

- Why the H3N2 flu is hitting Canada hard this year (January 6, 2017) :
http://www.cantechletter.com/2017/01/h3n2-flu-hitting-canada-hard-year/

Last week, a reported 340 people were admitted to hospitals in Hamilton, where officials are asking the public to help in limiting the spread of the virus, especially by staying home.

The H3N2 influenza virus has been on the health radar for some time now as a particularly difficult influenza virus subtype. In 1968, H3N2 emerged as a category 2 pandemic known as the Hong Kong Flu, responsible for one million deaths worldwide and infecting over half a million residents of Hong Kong alone. Since then, H3N2 has kept up regular appearances worldwide,
often confounding best efforts to immunize citizens against it. 

...Each year, the dominant virus subtypes change, prompting officials to issue flu vaccines which they expect will match the upcoming year’s most prevalent forms.
This year’s flu vaccine in Canada was, in fact, meant to protect against both the H1N1 and H3N2 subtypes of influenza A,

 but because of H3N2’s quick ability to mutate, the match between vaccine and this year’s version of the virus is not exact, thus leading to the current outbreaks.

--

- DIFFERENTIATION OF FEVER:
http://www.greekmedicine.net/pathology/Differentiation_of_Fever.html

In Greek Medicine, fever, or pyrexia, is seen as a manifestation of the Fire element in the human body.

Fever is seen as a protective cleansing response, or catharsis, of the organism; by manifesting a fever, the elevated metabolic heat can burn off toxins,
pathogens and superfluous morbid humors at a faster rate once they have accumulated to critical levels.

And so, as a natural protective cleansing response of the organism, many fevers tend to be self-limiting, and of limited duration.
After the offending toxins and superfluous morbid humors have been consumed, the fever has served its purpose and run its course,
homeostasis is reestablished, and the body returns to normal.


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## new dog (Jun 21, 2016)

Thanks s1231 and that was an informative interesting post.


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