5 ms·

I don't know what policy around flu should be, but I'd like to share my data points about flu, for those who think flu is no big deal. The last two times I had

I don't know what policy around flu should be, but I'd like to share my data points about flu, for those who think flu is no big deal. The last two times I had flu (first age 36, then a few years later), I was unable to work for an entire month each time. For most of that time I struggled to get out of bed, and couldn't think much. I was too weak and tired, so I slept most of the time or did low energy activities, and relied on other people to bring me food. The first one meant I missed Christmas: My partner went to an all-day get together with our mutual friends, and I stayed home in bed, too ill to go. My other flu story would be, a good friend and former employer got flu one day when he was visiting his wife and children (he normally worked in another country to them). Few days into it, he lay down on a sofa and died. I don't know the rest of the story, but I miss him. I think my life would be different if he were still around. These experiences certainly gave me more respect for flu as a killer.

istorical 5y ago
The last two times you had flu with severity great enough to alert you that you had flu.
- mdp2021 5y ago
  Those two experiences you want to avoid in the future, and which define you behaviour (modelled on the impact of the bullets you may get, not on the non-impact of the bullets you may miss).
- nradov 5y ago
  About a third of influenza infections are asymptomatic. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18230677/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18230677/
darkerside 5y ago
> My partner went to an all-day get together with our mutual friends, and I stayed home in bed, too ill to go. So your partner did not quarantine? Avoid non-essential trips? Wear a mask? I don't think you'd disagree that our COVID precautions at _this_ point are incongruous with the past, but highlighting it for others reading.
- jlokier 5y ago
  Covid isn't flu. It doesn't spread, behave, or affect people like flu. It's not a type of flu. There are some similarities and many differences. Do we really have to keep pointing it out? I don't think current precautions are incongruous with the past. Because they are significantly different situations. (Edit: Removed "inappropriately" from "incongruous", as it was intended to clarify but it proved unhelpful. Keeping this note because it gives context to the reply.)
  - darkerside 5y ago
    I didn't say "inappropriately". And I'm responding to your flu comparison.
    - jlokier 5y ago
      I didn't compare flu with Covid. I responded about the experience described as "worst bouts of flu" to give perspective to that experience by itself. Many people have never had a flu that lasted like that. Hearing that it happens is interesting. In particular, someone thinks it's just a few days off work, and I know some people in the US don't have enough permitted sick days to be sick for a month. I think comparing two situations and calling the different responses to them "incongruous" implies the comparison is intended to be about something you think is appropriate. (And I think it's an inappropriate comparison, because Covid and flu are sufficiently different.) Otherwise the comparison is pointless. Perhaps I should have written "appropriately incongruous" instead of "inappropriately", though; the multiple negatives seem to get confusing around that sort of language, especially across continents.

istorical 5y ago

The last two times you had flu with severity great enough to alert you that you had flu.

mdp2021 5y ago
Those two experiences you want to avoid in the future, and which define you behaviour (modelled on the impact of the bullets you may get, not on the non-impact of the bullets you may miss).
nradov 5y ago
About a third of influenza infections are asymptomatic. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18230677/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18230677/

darkerside 5y ago

> My partner went to an all-day get together with our mutual friends, and I stayed home in bed, too ill to go. So your partner did not quarantine? Avoid non-essential trips? Wear a mask? I don't think you'd disagree that our COVID precautions at _this_ point are incongruous with the past, but highlighting it for others reading.

jlokier 5y ago
Covid isn't flu. It doesn't spread, behave, or affect people like flu. It's not a type of flu. There are some similarities and many differences. Do we really have to keep pointing it out? I don't think current precautions are incongruous with the past. Because they are significantly different situations. (Edit: Removed "inappropriately" from "incongruous", as it was intended to clarify but it proved unhelpful. Keeping this note because it gives context to the reply.)
- darkerside 5y ago
  I didn't say "inappropriately". And I'm responding to your flu comparison.
  - jlokier 5y ago
    I didn't compare flu with Covid. I responded about the experience described as "worst bouts of flu" to give perspective to that experience by itself. Many people have never had a flu that lasted like that. Hearing that it happens is interesting. In particular, someone thinks it's just a few days off work, and I know some people in the US don't have enough permitted sick days to be sick for a month. I think comparing two situations and calling the different responses to them "incongruous" implies the comparison is intended to be about something you think is appropriate. (And I think it's an inappropriate comparison, because Covid and flu are sufficiently different.) Otherwise the comparison is pointless. Perhaps I should have written "appropriately incongruous" instead of "inappropriately", though; the multiple negatives seem to get confusing around that sort of language, especially across continents.