Is the flu (with fever) going around now? It is currently Aug. 31, 2007.?

A couple of people in my family are sick, but all of my friends are fine. If you have the flu or know someone else that currently has it, what are the symptoms? How many people have the flu now? Post if you have the flu or know someone else who does. Also, post what area of the country you live in. I am in Western New York. Thanks!

I live in the northeast of the USA.

The classic symptoms of influenza are fever, body aches, and congestion with a productive cough. Contrary to popular vernacular, there is no such thing as "stomach flu"; the influenza virus is purely a respiratory ailment. Also, since it's a virus and not a bacterium, antibiotics are useless against it.

However, many other viral infections can have symptoms similiar to the flu. Unless you are very young, very old, immunocompromised, or the infection persists longer than it should (about 7-10 days), it's a fairly minor ailment that shouldn't require medical attention.

You can get the flu at any time of year; it only takes exposure to the virus. Flu season, when it seems like everybody has the sniffles, begins in October because at this time of year the weather turns colder and people spend more time indoors with all the doors and windows sealed which lengthens your exposure to everyone else's germs. Flu season peaks in about February-March, and starts to fade off in the spring when people start to go outside and open the windows to let the fresh air inside.

The common symptoms of the flu include:

Fever (usually high)
Headache
Muscle aches
Chills
Extreme tiredness
Dry cough
Runny nose may also occur but is more common in children than adults
Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, may also occur but are more common in children than adults.


I'm in NC and the flu is not going around.

The flu season has not hit Texas yet, but it is coming I am sure.