Careful Central Minnesota: H3N2 Flu is Still Rampant
Even if you got the flu shot this season, this bugger is still out to get you. H3N2 is awful this year and still strong all across Minnesota.
Many people have been hit by different strains of the flu, and it doesn't matter if you got the flu shot, cause there's a few strains out there that the shot has zero effect on.
Last weekend I got the flu and it had all the symptoms minus the vomiting and diarrhea. If you start to feel tired, weak and achy then it's likely you're going to be out of commission within a few hours -- and will be few a couple days.
Here's the symptoms of the typical flu virus, according to the CDC:
- Fever or feeling feverish/chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle or body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
It's extremely difficult to avoid the flu. Most of us aren't going to hide alone indoors during the winter flu months in Minnesota. If you're worried about it that bad then that's about your only option. Unfortunately the virus is spread before somebody even knows they have symptoms.
To avoid it the best you can, simply following these guidelines:
- Stay away from obvious sick people
- Wash your hands thoroughly and often
- Get the flu vaccine, even though this H3N2 strain doesn't seem to care
- Disinfect every public surface you touch, including: door handles, keyboards, counters, etc.
This flu strain is supposed to last for a few more weeks, so be careful and if there's anything to stress...stay home from work if you're sick. It's not fair to your co-workers and a company is no good if its workforce is down with the flu at the same time.
Yes, you have my permission to pass this along to your boss ;)