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rosesandpiglets t1_iyogw1l wrote

Reply to comment by [deleted] in 13 Dead From Flu In WA State, Activity 'Very High' by cailinloesch

Get Tamiflu ASAP after showing symptoms.

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ctruvu t1_iyp1esq wrote

tamiflu and xofluza are weaker than a lot of people assume. might shave off a day of symptoms at best. and like you said, you have to start it asap. most people assume the first day or so of the flu might just be a bad cold. for the cost of urgent care and whatever your rx copay is, i don't think it's worth the hassle. pretty much all you can really do is a ton of sleep, fluid, electrolytes, and ibuprofen and tylenol

but if you're intent on getting an antiviral if you catch the flu, one way to differentiate the flu is that it usually hits like a train out of nowhere compared to most common colds being more gradual

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nightmareinsouffle t1_iyoq3df wrote

I can honestly say I’ve never had a case of the flu, just bad colds and stomach bugs. How do you tell the difference soon enough in those early days?

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holla5050 t1_iyov7vn wrote

The flu comes on suddenly and usually has a fever. We had influenza A three weeks ago. I went from having a slight tickle in my throat to full blown sick with 102+ fever in just a few hours. Silly me just assumed I had RSV since I had known contact with a sick kid. Turns out we got the double whammy RSV and flu!

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nightmareinsouffle t1_iyovqyt wrote

A friend of mine’s son who lives in the Spokane area got influenza A and B simultaneously over Thanksgiving.

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holla5050 t1_iyp92uk wrote

We are in Spokane too and the week we were sick so was everyone else. More than half of my youngest kids class was out sick. Urgent cares were full. Hospitals had super long waits. My kiddo had an unrelated allergic reaction and we couldn't get a bed at the hospital. It sucked.

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rosesandpiglets t1_iyorze3 wrote

Honestly can’t tell ya, I’m currently in bed with my very first case of the Flu.

I only know cause I was tested.

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unspun66 t1_iyq4n8n wrote

The flu hits you like a truck. You wake up feeling fine, 2 hours later you are SICK. Colds tend to come on gradually with the sniffles or sore throat starting then build up.

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Banjo1812 t1_iyoyunk wrote

If you can find it. My pharmacy hasnt had any in stock for a few weeks, with no ETA on when they'll get more. If you don't take some within the first few days, they said it won't work.

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Shadegloom t1_iyp414n wrote

Tamiflu is generally for high risk people like pregnant 3,kids, elderly. My husband got told to treat at home with the recent shortage of the stuff.

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aeo1us t1_iyqdh8m wrote

My wife is a doctor for a nursing home and even she thinks tamiflu does very little to nothing at all.

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