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Isabelle Wong February 25, 2013

ELA 700
The Fatal Flu
Emilee Lau in class 700 of PS126 MATwas affected by the flu on the
last week of January. She states that she thinks she got the flu from her
friends because they were sick too and had to stay home. I felt horrible
and I felt like I was going to die she said. Emilee says she also had a runny
nose, cough, chills, and loss of appetite, headache and tiredness. Now she
has recovered from the flu and has started the new month healthy.
Further, she is aware of keeping her hands clean and making sure to keep a
distance from any sick people.

The start
In the beginning of the new year of 2013, there was a flu spreading
in New York City. The flu is also known as the influenza virus. A virus can
cause an infection. It could be a little or a big infection, but some viruses can
even kill you. A virus can make your body weak or even make you sick with
a cold, cough, runny nose or a fever. There are names for the flu and this
time the flus nameis H3N2. It can affect any age
but some other people can be at a higher risk to
catch the flu. People catch the flu because it can
spread from one person to another and it can
happen anywhere. Every year about hundreds of
thousands of people die from the influenza viruses.

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Its because of others
The flu or virus can spread from different people and that is how we
can get affected by the flu. For example, when you sneeze or cough into
your hands, after, you can touch different places and put your germs
everywhere. Later someone else can touch the exact same spot where you
rub your germs and they can touch their nose or mouth with their germy
hand. Youre not going to be the only one touching those things. Sometimes,
you might even just
sneeze or cough into
the air, and then
someone could
breathe in all the
germs that came
out of your body.
The best thing to do
is sneeze or cough into your arm or clothing.

Other sicknesses
Sometimesother sicknesses can lead you to the flu. When you get sick,
it can be a pain, but when it gets combined with other germs it makes the
flu even worse. For example, when you have a fever, it can also lead you to
catch a cold and start coughing. Those are all the signs of the flu and it can
all get worst if you get headaches, loss of appetite and weakness. Also if you
have others sicknesses or health problems, it means you are more at risk of
being affected by the flu. If you have cancer, asthma, obesity and other
health problems it can lead you to a higher risk of getting the flu.
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Animals
Animals can also be the reason why we get the flu. For example, pigs
and birdscan carry the flu and can spread to people. In 2009 there was a
flu caused by pigs. The flu was called the Swine Flu and it started in Mexico
and spread around the world. Around 70 million people were affected by
the Swine Flu. Birds can also carry the flu and
spread it to other animals and people. For
example, in 2003, birds carried the Avian Flu
and about 600 people were killed. Even
though the Avian Flu is 100 years old and
started in Italy, it can still affect anybody.
Both flus are rare but other flus can come in
any second from any animal.

Who gets hurt
The flu can hurt anybody, but some might have a higher risk of
getting the flu. For example, people who are 6 and younger and 65 and
older can have a higher risk of being affected by the flu. It can also affect
women who are pregnant and people who have other
health problems. Women who are pregnant can hurt
themselves and their babies. People with other health
problem can get worse when they get the flu because their
immune system may not be strong enough to fight against
the flu. It can affect people with other health problems like
cancer or obesity. But overall everyone can get the flu.

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Where does it hurt
The flu can affect your whole body. The most common places that it
can affect are your nose, lung or throat. The symptoms of the flu is that
you can get a runny nose or have a sore throat. Sometimes it can also
affect your stomach because it can ruin your appetite and it can make you
feel nausea. The common signs of the flu are headaches, runny noses, sore
throats, chills and aching. Even though it mostly hurts your head, throat
and nose, it can also hurt any part of your body.

Signs of Influenza
o fever
o chills
o headache
o muscle aches
o dizziness
o loss of appetite
o tiredness
o cough
o sore throat
o runny nose
o nausea/vomiting
o weakness
o ear pain
o diarrhea
Prevent the flu
If you get the flu, it would be best to stay home or
stay away from crowded areas to prevent spreading the
flu. Also remember to sneeze or cough into your arm
and wash your hand after using the bathroom or before
eating. If you dont have the flu and you dont want to
get the flu try to get the vaccine every year to prevent
you from getting the flu. The vaccination was created 1796 and is still used
today. You would get a vaccination if you go to a doctor and ask them. First
they would ask your age to see what kind of way you would get the vaccine.
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They would also ask you if you are allergic to anything and if you are
allergic to a certain medicines, they would decide what kind of way you
would get the vaccine. If you are 10 or younger you would get a nose spray
and if you are 11 or older you would get a shot on your arm. They would
inject a substance into your body and the substance would protect your
body from getting the flu. But sometimes the vaccination might not always
help. If you do get the flu, there are medicines to cure the flu. There are
four types of medicines to cure the flu and they are called Tamiflu,
Flumadine, Symmetrel and Relenza.

Bibliography
o Grady, D. 2006. Deadly Invaders. Boston, Mass. : Kingfisher
o Lau, Emilee. Personal Interview. January 28, 2013.
o Sheen, B. 2007. Flu. San Diego, Calif. : Lucent Books
o Unknown Author. H5N1 Avian Flu (H5N1 Bird Flu) About the Flu.
Retrieved on February 2, 2013. From http://www.flu.gov/about_the_ flu
/h5n1/
o Unknown Author. Influenza(Flu) Infections. 1995. Retrieved on January
15, 2013. Fromhttp://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/lung/flu.html#
o Unknown Author. Key Facts about Influenza (Flu) & Flu Vaccine
Seasonal Influenza(Flu). March 28, 2012. Retrieved on January 22,
2013. From http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm
o Unknown Author. Viruses and Bacteria Infections. November 4, 2011.
Retrieved on February 2, 2013. From http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/
health_advice/facts/virusbacteria.htm