Fear and Loathing, a Rat Flu Odyssey

[bennymac]

When people get a bad cold they often say “I have the flu”. A lot of avoidance of flu shots could be because people underestimate how much the real flu kicks your ass.

[Ted Striker]

^^^ same goes for foodborne illness.

[Adolf Allerbush]

Possibly. Either way they know it's something getting a test for probably isn't necessary.

When people get a bad cold they often say “I have the flu”. A lot of avoidance of flu shots could be because people underestimate how much the real flu kicks your ass.

I was going to respond to MF with this, but will put it here instead...I haven't had the "flu" in years...I've been sick with a cold, which people often think is the flu. I wonder if MF understands that distinction? and that every flu case is not identified via testing each year.

[KQ]

Oh for crying out loud. I'm sick. It's not Covid according to my test results. Im not going to wring my hands and worry about a false negative. I am fully vaxxed - a month out.

I also got the flu vax last November so 6 months out from that.

I guess I don't really care at this point if it's a cold, the flu or viral bronchitis. I will not be going back in for another test. It's simply too exhausting to drive in and back. I'm staying home spendimg most of my time in bed until I'm better or I have to call 911.

And re foodborne I'm going to say no. My symptoms don't match and I'm fully vaxxed for Hepatitis A. Also vaxxed for Yellow Fever, MMR, BCG, Polio, Chicken Pox, Small Pox, and any other mainstream jab you can think of so don't go there.

Still.... sadly I have no bananas.

[bennymac]

to be clear KQ I don't think anyone here was criticizing your actions.

Or saying you needed further testing

Or hinting that your condition was foodborne illness

these topics were being discussed in a more general sense.

[KQ]

to be clear KQ I don't think anyone here was criticizing your actions.

Or saying you needed further testing

Or hinting that your condition was foodborne illness

these topics were being discussed in a more general sense.

I feel like a patient in a teaching hospital and the doc in charge is talking about me to the residents in a not so flattering way.

[bennymac]

I get it. I'm not trying to discount how you feel reading this or trying to tell you how to feel.

Just want to offer some reassurance that, while your illness and testing spurred on this particular conversation, it's not in my view directly about your situation - for what that's worth.

[Ted Striker]

I wasn't talking about you specifically either, just saying that lots of people mistake other things for the flu.

[KQ]

I get it. I'm not trying to discount how you feel reading this or trying to tell you how to feel.

Just want to offer some reassurance that, while your illness and testing spurred on this particular conversation, it's not in my view directly about your situation - for what that's worth.

Sure....again... the teaching hospital thing.

According to this chart, based on my symptoms, it is the flu:

[senior researcher]

Get well soon, KQ!

[bennymac]

Anyone who is having symptoms and is dealing with testing for covid could read this thread and feel like they themselves are the one being discussed.

As I posted earlier I’m glad your swab was negative.

[galibier_numero_un]

When people get a bad cold they often say “I have the flu”. A lot of avoidance of flu shots could be because people underestimate how much the real flu kicks your ass.

^^^ this ^^^
I got diagnosed with the flu back in 2005. After that experience (felt like I got run over by a truck), I knew the difference.

... Thom

[jono]

I feel like a patient in a teaching hospital and the doc in charge is talking about me to the residents in a not so flattering way.

Still.... sadly I have no bananas.

Some of the commenters in this forum clearly lack the sensitivity to fully comprehend the extent of this situation. Hoping your symptoms abate soon--and may your potassium levels rebound!

[MontuckyFried]

to be clear KQ I don't think anyone here was criticizing your actions.

Or saying you needed further testing

Or hinting that your condition was foodborne illness

these topics were being discussed in a more general sense.

You are correct, sir.

[old goat]

Oh for crying out loud. I'm sick. It's not Covid according to my test results. Im not going to wring my hands and worry about a false negative. I am fully vaxxed - a month out.

I also got the flu vax last November so 6 months out from that.

I guess I don't really care at this point if it's a cold, the flu or viral bronchitis. I will not be going back in for another test. It's simply too exhausting to drive in and back. I'm staying home spendimg most of my time in bed until I'm better or I have to call 911.

And re foodborne I'm going to say no. My symptoms don't match and I'm fully vaxxed for Hepatitis A. Also vaxxed for Yellow Fever, MMR, BCG, Polio, Chicken Pox, Small Pox, and any other mainstream jab you can think of so don't go there.

Still.... sadly I have no bananas.

[KQ]

Took long enough! [emoji41]

[bennymac]

Some of the commenters in this forum clearly lack the sensitivity to fully comprehend the extent of this situation. Hoping your symptoms abate soon--and may your potassium levels rebound!

[jono]

Hey. Don't disrespect the lack of bananas. That's some shit right there.

[Mofro261]

Do we have less flu because of less testing, or is there less testing because there is less flu?
It's pretty easy for most people to understand the mathmatical concept of a RATIO, expressed in this case as #positives/total tests.

https://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/fluview/fl...dashboard.html

One can use the above site to download compiled reported data that tracks total tests and % positives weekly for each year.

Flu season, Peak week of Influenza reported, Total tests, total positives, % positives

2017-18, week 5; 81,687 tests, 22,108 FLU positive tests, positives 27.1%
2018-19, week 8; 54,061 tests, 14,186 FLU positive tests, positives 26.2%
2019-20, week 5; 72,224 tests, 21,773 FLU positive tests, positives 30.2%
2020-21, week 1; 44,779 tests, 123 FLU positive tests, positives 0.27%

Testing down 1.5-2X, % positives down 100X.

This week (2021 week 18), among samples tested for Influenza Like Illness, 27,083 tests, 22 positives. <0.1% positives.
I suppose that 0.1% is something to sniffle about if you are the 1:1000 with ILI that actually has Influenza.

[Buster Highmen]

Maybe the masks and social distancing had some effect on the usual influenza stats?

[ill-advised strategy]

I don’t give a shit what you have, sleep that shit off. Netflix and bloody Mary’s and snoozing on the couch.

Feel better!

[old goat]

Is he rolling his eyes in disgust or are his eyes rolled up into his head from something he took.

And KQ --take IAS' advice. Like the old saying my grandmother used to tell me--drown a cold, drown a fever. (I think that's how it went.)

[LongShortLong]

For anyone still caught up in the lab origin theory, the current TWiV podcast covers Covid origins. Includes 3 members of the WHO team that went to China a few months back.


In short, scientists have looked at all the available evidence and there's no support. They remain open-minded, so if you got new evidence, put up or shutup. Neither media nor unsupported intelligence is evidence. They discussed both.

[summit]

Didn't invest 90 minutes, but were they specifically addressing it as no evidence of a lab "developed" virus?

I've always been open to the idea that this was a naturally occurring zoonosis that was being studied (not manipulated for nefarious means as some like to purport) and accidently released through incompetence.

That's also because IMO this virus is a shit biowarfare agent and pandemics with novel airborne viral pathogens are shit biowarfare strategies.

[Hott Butt Mud]

Didn't invest 90 minutes, but were they specifically addressing it as no evidence of a lab "developed" virus?

I've always been open to the idea that this was a naturally occurring zoonosis that was being studied (not manipulated for nefarious means as some like to purport) and accidently released through incompetence.

That's also because IMO this virus is a shit biowarfare agent and pandemics with novel airborne viral pathogens are shit biowarfare strategies.

OK, bud.