4 ms·

People underestimate what a bad virus can do to your health. A few years ago when a strong version of the flu was going around (winter 2017/spring 2018), I got

People underestimate what a bad virus can do to your health. A few years ago when a strong version of the flu was going around (winter 2017/spring 2018), I got got either that flu or something similar. I developed a extremely strong cough the day of getting it, along with a high fever of 103-104. I went to the emergency room as I felt I was going to die, and the week after was afraid to go to sleep as I felt I may not wake up. My heart felt extremely strange and my resting pulse which was normally low/mid 40's jumped to consistently above 100 or higher. I was out of work(engineer at a desk job) for 3 weeks. I did not really get over it until 2 months later where I felt better. Even after the 2 months I would feel extremely weak and had what I thought was low blood sugar(levels were fine). This was not covid but it shows what a virus can do to an extremely healthy person and the lingering effects after.

beagle3 6y ago
And this is exactly why flu comparisons are apt, even though they are ignored and ridiculed. Most people have no idea how bad a flu can get if you get it; they hear “flu” but think about the common cold. The lesson from comparing COVID to flu (with all similarities and differences) is not “just ignore it, it’s nothing” but rather “it’s serious and potentially life threatening, but we do have a couple of millennia of experience dealing with it, let’s learn what we can and remain factual”
magicnubs 6y ago
My dad (in his 50s but in great health/shape) got a flu around the same time that you did, and had similar problems. Felt flu-y for 3-4 weeks, and then for months afterward he felt weak, had an elevated heartrate, and would get winded walking up his driveway. After a few months the VA finally saw him and they put him on a beta-blocker, which helped. It really reminded me that a random fluke illness can put you down for months. We tend to think of illness as a binary; it's either something quick that you get over in a few days, or something chronic that you will have for the rest of your life. Maybe we should be thinking of viral infections more like we do orthopedic (or psychological) injuries: something that you can adapt to and mostly recover from pretty acutely, but you might need to take it easy on that bum shoulder and it might flare up occasionally.
- neuronic 6y ago
  One more thing to add, with any viral disease it is important to take rest and recovery very seriously. Putting yourself under stress with work or excercise before you are fully recovered will do severe damage to the body. You migt feel better and even fine after 2 weeks of the flu but it's likely still an ongoing fight in your body. If put under stress, you can develop inflammation of heart tissue and I am willing to bet that this is just a single manifestation of a whole range of issues that may develop in a virus-strained body so soon after acute infection. Attempt to take as much time as possible for recovery. The world doesn't often allow us to (work, social pressure) but nothing is worse than long-term medical issues that gnaw on you every single day. We need to reevaluate how we treat or health. Breaking it so some company can have a tiny better bottom line at the end of the year is just not worth it. We are more productive when well rested and healthy anyways.

beagle3 6y ago

And this is exactly why flu comparisons are apt, even though they are ignored and ridiculed. Most people have no idea how bad a flu can get if you get it; they hear “flu” but think about the common cold. The lesson from comparing COVID to flu (with all similarities and differences) is not “just ignore it, it’s nothing” but rather “it’s serious and potentially life threatening, but we do have a couple of millennia of experience dealing with it, let’s learn what we can and remain factual”

magicnubs 6y ago

My dad (in his 50s but in great health/shape) got a flu around the same time that you did, and had similar problems. Felt flu-y for 3-4 weeks, and then for months afterward he felt weak, had an elevated heartrate, and would get winded walking up his driveway. After a few months the VA finally saw him and they put him on a beta-blocker, which helped. It really reminded me that a random fluke illness can put you down for months. We tend to think of illness as a binary; it's either something quick that you get over in a few days, or something chronic that you will have for the rest of your life. Maybe we should be thinking of viral infections more like we do orthopedic (or psychological) injuries: something that you can adapt to and mostly recover from pretty acutely, but you might need to take it easy on that bum shoulder and it might flare up occasionally.

neuronic 6y ago
One more thing to add, with any viral disease it is important to take rest and recovery very seriously. Putting yourself under stress with work or excercise before you are fully recovered will do severe damage to the body. You migt feel better and even fine after 2 weeks of the flu but it's likely still an ongoing fight in your body. If put under stress, you can develop inflammation of heart tissue and I am willing to bet that this is just a single manifestation of a whole range of issues that may develop in a virus-strained body so soon after acute infection. Attempt to take as much time as possible for recovery. The world doesn't often allow us to (work, social pressure) but nothing is worse than long-term medical issues that gnaw on you every single day. We need to reevaluate how we treat or health. Breaking it so some company can have a tiny better bottom line at the end of the year is just not worth it. We are more productive when well rested and healthy anyways.