PSA HNT

Flu refers to illnesses caused by a number of different influenza viruses. Flu can cause a range of symptoms and effects, from mild to lethal. Most healthy people recover from the flu without problems, but certain people are at high risk for serious complications.

In the U.S., epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) work with states to collect, compile and analyze reports of flu outbreaks. Flu symptoms may include fever, coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, body aches, chills and fatigue.

Annual outbreaks of the seasonal flu usually occur during the late fall through early spring. Most people have natural immunity, and a seasonal flu vaccine is available. In a typical year, approximately 5 to 20 percent of the population gets the seasonal flu. Flu-related deaths range from 3,300 to 48,600 (average 23,600).

A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza A virus emerges for which there is little or no immunity in the human population; the virus causes serious illness and spreads easily from person-to-person worldwide.

For the 2009-2010 flu season, the H1N1 flu virus caused more illness in young people and pregnant women than is usual for prior flu seasons. Like seasonal flu, illness in people with H1N1 can vary from mild to severe.

I've never bothered with flu shots in the past. I tend to avoid those sorts of things. Most years, I've been able to escape getting sick. However, due to my current "condition", now I get to run to the front of the line to get flu shots. And the earlier, the better. Time for you to get yours, too!

---

Carolina In My Mind

"In my mind I'm goin' to Carolina
Can't you see the sunshine
Can't you just feel the moonshine
Ain't it just like a friend of mine
It hit me from behind
Yes I'm gone to Carolina in my mind"
--James Taylor

This week's Mystery Guest will be revealed Thursday afternoon. Be sure to check back to find out who it is!
Millie is this week's MG! You can find her at "Return to the Internet", which is ironic, since she's been gone for awhile. She just wanted to let us know she's still around! And if you want to see how she's changed, check out her last appearance as the MG!

---

Some new participants over at "...the Other HNT" this week! Stop by and check out your fellow HNTers, and leave a comment or two, please! Of course, it's NSFW.

---

Realized while I was drafting this that I haven't posted since last week's HNT. Geez! No real reason. The weather is exquisite right now, football is in full swing, symphony rehearsals start again this weekend, the soul band has a gig the day after the symphony concert, lots of rehearsals coming up (thank God the music has already been written!), miners were/are being pulled out of the ground, Christmas supplies are already in the stores, I learned a trick to download YouTube videos, I got an exquisite voice message from a foreigner, and life is generally pretty good. I'll try to write more this weekend though...

In the meantime, go check out the OsShirt site, my new site of just my HNTs (current up to December, 2007) or go ask me a question in my Formspring box in my sidebar!