Flu Season!

Flu season is upon us, again.  And, this year the feared H1N1 variety is particularly nasty and has even been responsible for killing otherwise healthy people.  We often dismiss the flu as something that you just have to go through once in a while...but it's actually a very serious illness that, in past years, has wiped out millions of people.  Even nowadays, anywhere from 200,000 to 500,000 people from around the world will die from the flu. 

Flu, of course, is short for "influenza" (I opened the door and in flew Enza) and is not to be confused with gastroenteritis (like the norwalk virus that often shuts down our care centres).  There are 3 main types of the flu (A, B, and C), of which A is the most common and problematic. The H1N1 version of influenza A is the same variant that was the Spanish Flu (1918) and the Swine Flu (2009) but, as with all flu viruses, it has morphed a bit.   This year's version (which the flu shot does prevent, by the way) is hitting young adults especially hard, with the majority of deaths being people in the 20-40 range, which is unusual since most flu fatalities are the very young or very old. 

So, someone might ask "why did God invent viruses in the first place"?   That's a great question.  However, viruses turn out to be overall beneficial to our planet (and its inhabitants) by helping rain fall (viruses in the air allow water droplets to form around them and turn into rain drops), keep populations of creatures in check, and provide medical research avenues into gene therapy treatments (see reasons.org for more).

So, wash your hands, get your flu shot, and don't lick door knobs.

Joell