Is the flu impacting you, your family, or where you live?

last week I was covering 2 other MDs in our practice. Wed-Fri I must have seen close to 100 people and spoken to countless others.

yes I am being impacted

Yes everyone is coughing

and I made the mistake of riding the subway last weekend which was like being in a petri dish - everyone coughing/sneezing then touching the poles - YUCK

this is why I bike to work

I have had a nasty cold but not the flu.  People often confuse the two.

Thankfully both Tony and I have been spared so far, but I was cringing in the gym last night at all the people coughing, sneezing and then touching equipment without wiping it down afterwards. 

I may just lock myself in our apartment until this goes away. 

Here is the current "flu view" of where activity is and at what level:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/usmap.htm

tried to load the image directly but it failed

BTW bottom of the graph says specifically:

*This map indicates geographic spread and does not measure the severity of influenza activity.

The flu (influenza virus) is characterized by sudden onset (mack truck like) of fever, muscle aches (ie you feel like even your hair hurts) and then some or all of: cough, congestion, vomiting, diarrhea - though some people just get the fever and myalgias.

There is both influenza A and B circulating right now. A is worse. The vaccine did not match B as well as it did A.  A few of my older patients who were vaccinated still got sick (this is the reason for everyone to be vaccinated to help protect the old, young and immunocompromised).

There are another couple of nasty viruses that I am seeing - where the cough hangs on a long time.

It' making it's rounds here.     I don't much worry about as I have never had any type of flu.    I guess I'm lucky with the genetics I have inherited, in this case.   It's not a perfect draw as I am allergic to certain antibiotics and sulfa drugs.   Deadly so.

 I have crawled around the swamps and jungles of the world and never picked up much of anything.   Of course for the stuff that is known and there is a vacine for I have had it.  Occupational hazard for the military set.    Just never had a flu shot.

while not diagnosed and typed my doctor said based on symptoms and presentation I had the flu. Hit me on the 27th and I was down for almost a week. It was horrible. luckily my wife missed it and I stayed away from all other family and friends to avoid passing it on.

We have also had multiple people out at my office for flu or flu like illness.

My daughter got it a couple weeks back and the doc prescribed Tamiflu for all the kids.  Thanksfully I have good insurance and it was only $25 per child x 3.  Apparently that stuff is expensive if you have crappy insurance.

I got the flu shot this year and so far so good but have a bad cold right now. 

Yep, it seemed to be "everywhere" for me too.  Not sure if it was the "flu" or whatever it is, but it's around.  Wife got it several weeks ago then got over it.  Went to CA for Christmas and the extended family was getting it.  Got back and everyone at work had it.

So far, I dodged that bullet.  *knocks on wood*.

I don't "believe" in them much.  I get them if I'm sitting in line at Walgreens and it's quick and easy and $20 or free with insurance.  But I don't go out of my way to get them.

Yep, same symptoms for just about everyone I know that got it.

We spent the entire winter break sick in our household. Both kids got it - cough, nasty fever, aches, etc. Ended up in the urgent care one night with my little one who couldn't breathe. Husband got it too, but not as bad. We got it from his sister who came down with it at Christmas, and my in-laws both got it for a week too. I seem to be the last one standing! Anyhow, a lot of our friends had the same experience - it's miserable.