About the flu

[Mike Cary]

I read some threads here with flu related topics and I thought some people may be interested to know more about it. I am a medical professional. During the last swine flu scare a few years ago I was asked to write the pandemic flu plan for our county. So I've done a little research.

First, what is the flu. The flu is a bird virus. It is passed between birds, usually waterfowl, through feces. It converts at some point to an airborne strain that can be passed to humans, or a secondary vector like a pig. It usually originates in Asia, China mostly, and then travels across the world. Although the last swine strain originated in Mexico. Due to human mobility, it now travels faster than ever before. Flu does not crop up on its own because you went out side without a jacket. Flu is only spread person to person. If you wonder it you have the flu, check and see if anyone else has the flu, if they don't, neither do you. As flu is spread across America, usually from one of the coasts, watch the news and you can see it coming.

There are many strains and two types, A & B, A is the more severe. Flu season is almost always in the winter. This is because flu is spread through water droplets or vapor expelled by infected people's breath. Confined spaces spreads the flu. In the winter we are indoors more, kids are back in school, etc. Unfiltered air in airplanes is a good place to suck up some virus. When you hear that you should wash your hands and not touch your eyes or nose, while that is a really good idea, it does not help much to prevent flu, colds yes definitely, although you will hear people on TV, tell you it does. They like to make people believe they are in control. If you get the flu, you probably breathed it. Unlike the cold virus which can live on surfaces for a long time the flu is more labile.

Symptoms. The flu is an upper respiratory virus. Lungs. It is almost always accompanied with a fever. With type A usually a whopper. At least 101 degrees. Everyone I ever had, 102. You cough up copious amount of yellow to green phlegm. You will probably have severe chills, body aches and possibly headaches. If you have clogged sinuses, unproductive cough, sneezes, low grade fever, sore throat, you have a cold. While colds can go on for weeks, the flu only lasts a few days. Gastrointestinal distress in not a symptom of the flu. If you have nausea, diarrhea and your vomiting, not the flu and there is no stomach flu. 80% of the time its food poisoning.

What can you do? Well, and this is all just my opinion, stay home, eat some chicken soup and rest. All claims that antivirals can help are made from manufacturer's studies. Independent research says at best they reduce the duration of the flu 4-6 hours, and there is no independent research that suggests it reduces mortality. If you go to the ER and don't have the flu, its a good place to catch it, if you do have it, its a good place to spread it, and they cannot do anything for you. You will leave as sick as you arrived $1000 poorer. Most likely you won't have hit your insurance deductible. UNLESS, you are or have young children, older in poorer health, or are immunocompromised. Hospitals have treatments to help breathe and prevent secondary infections like pneumococcal pneumonia.

You CANNOT catch the flu from the vaccine. It is just a protein (antigen) they expose you to, not a live virus, You have an equal chance of giving birth to a calf after eating a hamburger.

Okay, that's what I think I know. If you disagree or have questions, shoot.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Thanks for the good info, Mike. The nurse at the Corner Clinic said the Tamiflu treatment is only effective if taken within 48 hours of the first symptoms and serve to lessen the severity of the symptoms and shorten the duration by a day or two.

[Jamie Buxton]

The flu you describe seems annoying but not fatal. However, in the past there have been flu epidemics that killed millions of people. (For instance, one in 1918 which is said to have killed 50 million people worldwide. Yes 50 million!) What's the difference? Why was it widely fatal then, but not now?

[Bill Orbine]

Mike, What is your take about whether people should or should not get flu shots? This seems to be a fairly good debate lately.

[Patrick McCarthy]

Mike, thank you for the info. Much appreciated to see it dissected. Best regards, Patrick

[John Terefenko]

From a Doctor. Any thoughts???

Flu Shot or Not? There is a lot of talk over the flu shot this year. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has begun massive advertising campaigns for all of us to get our Flu shot this year. Consequently, we understand the why’s to getting the Flu shot, but they fail to provide us with information as to why not. This peer review post is to provide you with information so you can THINK and decide what is best for you and your family. Both sides of the story should be understood, but this is not to replace your medical doctor’s care. Being mindful of the facts allows you to ask questions, challenge the norm and make a choice that best suits you and your family. The Flu shot is a vaccine that contains killed Influenza (flu) virus that is grown in eggs and given by injection. It contains ingredients that can be harmful to your health and should be noted. Let’s take a look at them. Ethylene glycol is antifreeze Phenol (carbolic acid) is a disinfectant and a dye Formaldehyde is a preservative that is cancer causing Aluminum is a toxic metal that is linked to Alzheimer’s, seizures and cancer Thimerosal is a mercury disinfectant and a preservative which is linked to brain injury and autoimmune disease Neomycin and Streptomycin are antibiotics that can create allergic reactions Grown in eggs which can create allergic reactions and shock for people with egg allergies Side effects” really is an odd term when it comes to medications. After all, whatever effects a medicine potentially creates in the body is an EFFECT, good or bad. I often wonder why the effects the medical paradigm believe are good are considered the effect and the bad ones are coined “side effects.” THINK about that. All effects of a medication are reactions to that medication. Some “side effects” are actually quite dangerous for some and shouldn’t be so disregarded and loosely phrased. Be mindful here. Below area some effects of the Flu shot: Soreness, redness or swelling at the injection site Low grade fever and aches and pains Allergic reactions, breathing problems, hoarseness, wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, fast heartbeats and dizziness Guillain Barre Syndrome which is a condition which the body attacks its own nerve cells Symptoms of having the Flu are fever, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, diarrhea and vomiting. The Flu has been reported to be harmful for elderly people, however research does not reflect mortality rates decreasing in groups given the Flu shot compared to those who did not receive the Flu shot. The American Academy of Pediatrics stated that you should NOT take the Flu shot if one of the following situations applies. Less than 6 months old Sick at the time of getting the shot History of Guillian Barre Syndrome Allergic or hypersensitive to eggs or another vaccine of same nature If you have asthma, an underlying medical condition, diabetes, renal problems, immune deficiency disease and are taking aspirin Flu strains generally change from one year to the next. Scientist work hard with hopes of picking the right strain for the winter time, but its pretty much a shot in the dark. It has been reported that they have a 70% chance of doing so. The Flu vaccine is one of those controversial topics, but it challenges you to THINK about what you are putting into your body and for what reason. Its OK to awaken to questioning what we inject, eat or do to our bodies. Are the vaccines risks worse than the actual virus? Do you feel that getting the Flu is something that is so potentially life threatening that it outweighs the harm the ingredients or “side effects” can impose now or years later? It’s your mind; your body; your life. It’s OK to pause and Think before you inject, honest. It’s OK whatever you decide, but it’s my job to provide information that may pass you by. Live well. For more information about the Flu or other vaccines visit the National Vaccine Information Center at www.NVIC.org. This is a peer review post of medical research by Dr. Claudia Anrig. Further information can be provided. Intention is not to replace medical care or flu shot choice. This is an informative peer review post only.

[Mike Cary]

Mike, What is your take about whether people should or should not get flu shots? This seems to be a fairly good debate lately.

There shouldn't be a debate. Side effects are very rare and very mild. Its all a matter if risk. What is more dangerous, the flu or the shot. Obviously the flu. Not getting vaccinated is socially irresponsible. Its not about just you. You might say, I'm not going to get vaccinated and take my chances. If everyone thought like that, your chances sky rocket. In the end though, its a free country, if you don't want one, you don't have to get one. I would ask those people however to keep their reasons to themselves. Debating the issue only adds to the ignorance and kills people.

[Mike Cary]

My search for Dr Claudia Anrig only shows a chiropractor in California.

[Mike Cary]

One more thing on the efficacy of the vaccine this year. I am required to get the vaccine. I have been exposed almost daily by actively infected patients since November. I have not gotten sick. Further more, I have not seen a single case of the flu where the patient had the shot and got sick anyway. Every single case, the person was not vaccinated. One case recently, a nurse brought in her kids who both had Flu A, and she did not get sick, despite being exposed very closely by the germ bags that are kids. This is just anecdotal observation, not a scientific study, so take it as it is. BTW, the nurse of course was vaccinated.

[roger wiegand]

Here's a link to a good, short article that describes some of the ingredients discussed above. https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2015/01...ly-inside.html

As Paracelsus (the father of toxicology) taught us "only the dose makes the poison". Using scary words like formaldehyde to drive an anti-science agenda can be seen for what it is when you realize that if you eat a pear you will get 50 times more formaldehyde than from a flu shot-- and at that, it will still be a trivial, irrelevant amount. Your body and your gut bugs make vastly more as part of normal metabolism.

Or take aluminum "a toxic metal" alleged to cause a variety of diseases. It's the third most abundant element on earth, accounting for about 8% of the planet, and the most abundant metal. It is everywhere, in everything, most especially in the dirt under our feet. If it were actually toxic at any important level we'd all be dead long since. (The Alzheimer's association has been disproved for at least a decade; I haven't the time or energy to look into the cancer association, but I can guess that it also was some combination of whopping doses in rodents combined with some p-hacking to create an "association" where none exists.

Flu shots save lives, lots of them. Unless you are one of the people for whom it is contraindicated it is unwise not to get one for your own health and irresponsible to those around you, especially if you ever have contact with people who are old, very young, or immune suppressed.

[Mike Cary]

I just realized that I am very close to being drug into one of those fruitless debates that might negatively define my relationship with fellow members. Not a good idea, I might need help tuning a bandsaw or something in the future. My only purpose for posting this thread was to help people recognize signs and symptoms of the flu because some folks had some confusion over them vs other illnesses.

Let’s not get into the efficacy of vaccines. Trust me, no one is going to change their minds here, and their opinions need not define them in your minds:

[Erik Loza]

Just get the shot. Last time I had the flu, it was miserable and I wished 100X I would have gotten the shot. My office pays for the shot and even then, some of the staff are like, "Oh, I don't have time/I don't think it works/blah, blah, blah". Then, they are out for a week while it runs through their whole family. It is cheap or free, readily available pretty much everywhere. How is this even a thing nowadays?

Erik

[Bill Orbine]

There shouldn't be a debate. Side effects are very rare and very mild. Its all a matter if risk. What is more dangerous, the flu or the shot. Obviously the flu. Not getting vaccinated is socially irresponsible. Its not about just you. You might say, I'm not going to get vaccinated and take my chances. If everyone thought like that, your chances sky rocket. In the end though, its a free country, if you don't want one, you don't have to get one. I would ask those people however to keep their reasons to themselves. Debating the issue only adds to the ignorance and kills people.

Thanks for the reply. I have not had the flu since I gotten flu shots the past few years. It works!

[Ted Calver]

Mike. Great thread. Perhaps start another an the subject of HPV vaccinations for our kids and grand kids.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Mike,

thanks for the information!