Have you ever gotten the flu? It isn’t surprising because 1 billion people get the flu per year. This makes it one of the most infectious respiratory viruses. There are four versions of the flu to be aware of, Flu A, Flu B, Flu C, and Flu D. The only difference is Flu A can be more serious in adults and is seasonal. Flu B is also seasonal, but it can be more serious in children. Flu C is not seasonal which means you can get it at any time of the year. Flu D is also not seasonal, but that type of flu can affect cattle and won’t be spread to people. If you want to know more information about the flu and how to stay safe during that season, read more to find out!
Everyone has a chance of getting the flu, but some people have a higher chance of getting it. Examples are people with diabetes, a blood disorder, a weakened immune system, have obesity, are under five years old and over 65 years old, live in a long-term care facility, have a history of a stroke, and have asthma. In seventh grade, during Thanksgiving Break, I got a fever of 103 which I know no one wants to have, especially during a holiday. Since it was such a high number, I thought it was the flu, but I was not 100% sure since I also didn’t go to the doctor. This shows that everyone can get the flu.
If you do get the flu, many symptoms come with it such as fever, chills, body aches, cough, headache, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and tiredness. You might not get all of these symptoms. However, if you do get these symptoms, it is possible that you could just have a cold, so keep checking your temperature and take actions if necessary. Sophomore Ella Sreniawski said “I haven’t gotten the flu before, but I do get a cold every few months.” This means that the symptoms that she got before weren’t the flu. You might get these symptoms in fall and winter because those are the seasons where the flu is the most prevalent just like Sophomore Grady Urrutia-Martinez. She said, “I get the flu mostly in the winter time.”
To prevent getting and spreading the flu, I recommend to avoid close contact, stay home when you are sick, cover your mouth and nose, clean your hands, avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, take steps for cleaner air, and practice good hygiene and other healthy habits. Examples of that are cleaning frequently touched surfaces, getting plenty of rest, being physically active, managing your stress, drinking plenty of fluids, and eating nutritious foods. If you go to work, there are some good habits that you could follow to stay safe. Some examples are: find out about your employer’s plans if the flu starts to spread in your office, clean touched objects frequently to help get rid of germs, teach others how to do your job in case you or a family member gets sick and you have to stay at home.
I have most likely gotten the flu before, and it was not fun at all. I was tired and always kept getting dizzy. Now, whenever I get a high temperature, the thought of me being in bed and having all these symptoms as mentioned before always keeps coming to my head. The flu is never fun to have, so let’s stay safe as well as inform others about this as we head into the flu season.
