Anyone affected by the new strain of influenza A?

D

Don Alaska

Well-known member
Has anyone here been affected by the new flu strain? Apparently the newest flu vaccine is not effective against it, and it appears to devastate folks in our age range who get it. Some conspiracy people are claiming that those vaxxed against Covid are more susceptible, but that may be bunk. During the winter, I increase my intake of Vitamin D3 and I have started taking zinc and quercetin as a precaution. Anybody else take any preventative measures or have you contracted it? My eldest son and his family got it and they were laid low for a while. My son barely got sick, but his son, two daughter and wife were very ill.

Maybe Tamiflu or other antivirals work. I don't know.
 
My daughter said the people she works with have all been getting sick, and she came down with something right before Christmas, and she said yesterday that it is still hanging on, with stuffed up head, but not so sick that she is down in bed. She spent most of her vacation back here at home being sick.
I don’t know if it is the same thing that you are talking about or not, @Don Alaska .
I think that Kate Ellery mentioned people getting sick with some kind of flu in Australia, too; so it might be in a lot of places.

We don’t do any of the flu shots or other vaccines, and neither Bobby or myself has been sick, even though we were around my daughter when she was here.
We both take vitamin C, A, and D, Zinc, plus a bunch of other stuff. I use peroxide in my ears right away if I feel like I might be getting a cold, and that helps to stop it. Dill pickles help with a sore throat, soups with lots of onion and garlic for their antibiotic benefits.
That is what we do.
 
My daughter got it and was real sick with what she called weird symptoms, in ears, throat lungs.
She is a very healthy person who takes good care of herself, both daughters do although eldest seldom gets sick.
We try not to go around others during flu season.
 
We have not had any flu or colds for a long time *Knock*. I general get sinus infections from time to time, if anything. We do not get flu vaccines. I only had one in my life, which was for the Swine flu in the 70’s. My whole family got sick from the vaccine.

In the winter months, I usually take Astragalus to boost my immune system, and maybe take an extra probiotic, and try to eat healthy. I already take D3 since my GYN said it helps protect the bones. Years ago, my GYN also said to eat some dairy with the D3 instead of taking Calcium supplements. Taking calcium in too high of dosage can increase heart disease in women, among other things, supposedly. 🤷‍♀️
 
Krystal Shay said:
We have not had any flu or colds for a long time *Knock*. I general get sinus infections from time to time, if anything. We do not get flu vaccines. I only had one in my life, which was for the Swine flu in the 70’s. My whole family got sick from the vaccine.

In the winter months, I usually take Astragalus to boost my immune system, and maybe take an extra probiotic, and try to eat healthy. I already take D3 since my GYN said it helps protect the bones. Years ago, my GYN also said to eat some dairy with the D3 instead of taking Calcium supplements. Taking calcium in too high of dosage can increase heart disease in women, among other things, supposedly. 🤷‍♀️
Click to expand...

I eat ice cream everyday so guess I best watch it. Although I don't eat cheese or other calcium rich foods.
 
During flu season, I carry a bottle of nasal spray that contains Grapefruit Seed Extract and Xylitol. They are supposed to kill viruses in your nasal passages before they "take hold." When I'm around people (like out shopping) I'll give myself a couple of blasts when I get to my car. This one on Amazon is moderately priced.

I also gargle when I get home. There's an ingredient (Cetylpyridinium chloride) in most national brands of mouthwash like Crest, ACT and Scope that kills viruses. I don't believe that Walmart's store brand contains it. (Some versions of the same brand list it as the Active Ingredient, other versions bury it in the Inactive Ingredients list.)

I believe a member on the prior version of this forum put drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract inside her mask so as to add an anti-viral layer of protection. It's available online.
 
We haven't been sick so far, and I don't know anyone who has had the flu this year. I went to the bank this morning and right before I walked inside, I took a sip of water and it "went down the wrong pipe." As I opened the door I was coughing and a lot of people were cringing, haha. I was too busy trying not to die to care, though.
 
No we have been fine,however we did have a flu shot in October. After having Covid first time last year, I decided we should pick one to take and the Flu shot it was. Of course it does not work well on the new strain, but better than nothing.
 
Yvonne Smith said:
My daughter said the people she works with have all been getting sick, and she came down with something right before Christmas, and she said yesterday that it is still hanging on, with stuffed up head, but not so sick that she is down in bed. She spent most of her vacation back here at home being sick.
I don’t know if it is the same thing that you are talking about or not, @Don Alaska .
I think that Kate Ellery mentioned people getting sick with some kind of flu in Australia, too; so it might be in a lot of places.

We don’t do any of the flu shots or other vaccines, and neither Bobby or myself has been sick, even though we were around my daughter when she was here.
We both take vitamin C, A, and D, Zinc, plus a bunch of other stuff. I use peroxide in my ears right away if I feel like I might be getting a cold, and that helps to stop it. Dill pickles help with a sore throat, soups with lots of onion and garlic for their antibiotic benefits.
That is what we do.
Click to expand...
As often happens, this year's vaccine totally missed the really bad strain of flu A this year. The manufacturers only guess correctly about half the time, but their thinking is that there is some generalized immunity from getting every past vaccine. You might consider taking hydroxychloroquine or quercetin as an "enabler" for the zinc if you do not already. The enabler enhances zinc and other micronutrient access to the cells.
 
Don Alaska said:
As often happens, this year's vaccine totally missed the really bad strain of flu A this year. The manufacturers only guess correctly about half the time, but their thinking is that there is some generalized immunity from getting every past vaccine. You might consider taking hydroxychloroquine or quercetin as an "enabler" for the zinc if you do not already. The enabler enhances zinc and other micronutrient access to the cells.
Click to expand...
I had heard that each year's vaccine has a 1-in-9 chance of doing any good:
-A 1-in-3 chance they'll guess the right strain
-A 1-in-3 chance the vaccine does any good should they happen to guess right

1/3 x 1/3 = 1/9
 
John Brunner said:
I had heard that each year's vaccine has a 1-in-9 chance of doing any good:
-A 1-in-3 chance they'll guess the right strain
-A 1-in-3 chance the vaccine does any good should they happen to guess right

1/3 x 1/3 = 1/9
Click to expand...
Well, I read a paper that indicated that when studied after the fact, they caught the right strain 50% of the time. If you recall my anecdotal study, I found that the flu vaccine did not affect the incidence of illness, but I did not have the ability to judge the severity. The vaccine did not affect the number of days claimed as sick days, so the duration of each illness was about the same. Before Covid, I think the flu vaccine was the worst ever developed, and it is redesigned every year.
 
John Brunner said:
I had heard that each year's vaccine has a 1-in-9 chance of doing any good:
-A 1-in-3 chance they'll guess the right strain
-A 1-in-3 chance the vaccine does any good should they happen to guess right

1/3 x 1/3 = 1/9
Click to expand...

3 more reasons for me not to take it. nothing against vaccines just don't take them unless I have to be out and about which is seldom around people in flu season.
 
Marie Mallory said:
3 more reasons for me not to take it. nothing against vaccines just don't take them unless I have to be out and about which is seldom around people in flu season.
Click to expand...
The last time I got a bad flu was in the late 70s. It knocked me on my butt. Ever since then I can tell that I have a bug because of a slight chill and I just don't "feel right." Then it passes that same day. I've never had a flu vaccine. When my doctor (prior MD and the current guy) raises it, I tell him that he did his job and checked the box.

I did get COVID in April, and I think it's affected my hearing. The ENT guy says it's just age, but I know this is not that. I have an appointment with my GP next week. We'll see if he can help.
 
As far as I am aware, I have had the flu only twice: once when I was a young child, and, although that was mother-diagnosed, from what I can remember, it was probably a bad case of it. I was isolated in a bedroom, which, oddly enough, wasn't even my bedroom, but the larger room with two bunkbeds. Mom was the only one who came into the room for the couple of weeks that I was there.

The other time was several years ago, maybe a year or two before the COVID nonsense. I wasn't diagnosed, but my wife was, and I had the same signs and symptoms, so I just waited it out.

The only time I received a flu vaccine was in the 1980s, when the state required it for all EMS personnel. I was sick for several days after that with flu-like symptoms, but I'm not sure it was actually the flu or just side effects from the vaccine. Since I was the one responsible for documenting that everyone had received the vaccine in subsequent years, I took it upon myself to exempt myself.
 
To each his own - I've never had a flu or Covid shot. I had the flu once, 43 years ago & never since despite caring for several friends & family who had the flu. If I got flu shots, I'd probably say they protected me from getting it again but I'd be mistaken.

As for Covid, I just couldn't buy into the vaccine; I was too busy laughing at the BS we were being fed. Besides the free tacos & tickets to baseball & basketball games offered to those with proof of vaccine cards & that 6-ft. magic distance, the reports about "Crowded hospital hallways & waiting rooms lined with gurneys, people on the floor gasping for breath," those refrigerated meat trucks in hospital parking lots to store dead Covid victims did it for me. I took four friends to different hospitals for minor surgery. There were 3-4 people in the waiting rooms, doctors were standing around chatting with nurses, & not a single meat truck in sight. The restaurant procedures from the health department were really amusing. You had to wear a mask when entering & walking to your seat. Then you take off your mask when you sit - inches away from people in the booth next to you. So....Covid is a considerate virus that will only infect someone when they're walking to their booth, but not when they're sitting or eating?
Markets had those plastic shields at the cashier to protect shoppers & cashiers. But they had a large hole to hand the cashier your money or coupons through. another example of "Covid's Courtesy."
A few relatives criticized me for not getting Covid vaccines. They got quiet when everyone in their vaccinated family got Covid - some were hospitalized. Funny how I never have - and never would criticize anyone for getting a Covid or flu vaccine, but some are quick to criticize those who choose not to.
That Toilet Paper shortage? People loading their cars with TP - the trunk wouldn't close, the back & front seats stuffed so you couldn't even see the driver; all you could see see were "Charmin" & "Scott." 🤣🤣
 
Ironically, hospitals were found to be the ideal environment in which to transmit Covid and Flu. Outside was found to be the worst place to catch the viruses. During the "pandemic", the flu cases were counted as Covid due to CDC manipulating the template from which the tests were manufactured, so influenza disappeared during the Covid period. The last time I had the flu, my wife brought it home to the family and we were all sick for a period; Tamiflu made it endurable. Wife had been pressured by her doctor to get the vaccine due to the fact that she suffers form asthma, so she brought it home to me and our two boys still at home. We marathon-watched Band of Brothers together during the quarantine. Since then, no flu vaccines and no influenza.
 
The only thing that our horrible governor, Janet Mills, did that made sense during COVID was to largely suspend fishing regulations, allowing people to go fishing without a license and relaxing many of the other rules around fishing, so while people were unable to do the other things they might be doing, such as working, eating at restaurants, or buying stuff, they could go fishing, where - in Maine anyhow - usually meant they were alone or with people who they brought with them. Some of these people might have decided they liked fishing, and bought a license in subsequent years.

Back on topic, while I don't believe that the yearly flu vaccines were, or were traditionally intended to do harm, as the COVID vaccines were, they concede that they they are not particularly effective or that the chances that they are designed to vaccinate against the strain of flu that you come into contact with are low.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top