So sorry to hear of your colleague's troubles. I'm doing everything I can to avoid others, especially children and wash my hands constantly. My immune system is still compromised from the SCT this summer. Yes, I had both my High-Dose Flu and my Pneumonia shots. I'll stay vigilant and hopefully avoid the illnesses.

What are others doing?

My neighbor went on a cruise to the Panama Canal in early December. He came home with pneumonia (did have the shot.) He spent Christmas in the hospital. His wife is keeping him secluded because his immune system is compromised.

As for me, it's been over 5 weeks recuperating from a ridiculous cold. Not coughing too much anymore, but still don't feel great. I'm not joining my movie group just yet, playing some bridge but trying to avoid crowds. If I have to go to the grocery store I try to pick a store that I know isn't that crowded, and get in and out as quickly as possible for now.

We got something when we were on a cruise in October. It took a lot out of us (10 pounds in 10 days), but the missus and I both recovered. Since I have no friends, the only contact I have with the rest of the world is on a cruise ship.

The flu is not in the KC area much yet. I substitute teach and nothing better than a classroom for flu monitoring. Allergy season I used to replace a box or two of tissues a day. Colds were about 2 months ago, and now nothing. When the flu gets going, about 1/3 of a class of 25 is gone. I wash my hands often, and don't touch my face, and get flu shots.

Flu is widespread in Ohio, but not in the classroom. Maybe our in-school flu clinics (vaccines) work well enough to keep flu out of the classrooms.

Plus:

Lots of hand washing.

Sanitizing of door handles,desks, floor spaces, gym equipment, cafeteria area, etc.

Lots of flu here. I am not worried about getting it....I almost never get sick, but I do worry about my husband. With his compromised lungs, it would be very bad for him.

This week the hospital system my husband works for sent a bulletin to every single employee to promote a more stringent use of sanitizers not only in the hospitals but in the administrative offices as well. They asked everyone to clean their phones, keyboards and so on to help keep people well. Not everyone thinks to do that, so it was a welcome reminder to see. My DH & I are also sanitizing the steering wheel in our cars and door knobs at home.

We’ve both been lukki so far (knocking on wood), but the other day I was at a clinic and one of the women in the office looked like death warmed over. She was coughing all over the place and needless to say her co-workers weren’t too happy about it. When I asked if she was taking something she responded that she had no money and was waiting for payday to buy medicine. I gave her a couple of days worth of Robistusin DM with Expectorant capsules I had just bought for home (as a precaution) and she took some right then and there. Her manager was walking around and saw the girl was really sick, if it had been me I would have immediately told her to go home. If people would just stay home when they’re sick it would surely help to keep it from spreading. It’s frustrating when others don’t consider the people around them in that regard.

Like Marilyn, I worry for my husband as well as all the others that are vulnerable. His immune system is so impaiired, I worry that his body wouldn’t be able to fight something like that.

I was sick the week before, during and after Christmas, had my flu shot last week and got a sore throat again the other day. doing ok for now.

Read 2 medical suggestions on Googlenews for those fighting the flu. Be sure to drink at least 8 ounces of water an hour to enable your body to fight the bug, and do not lie flat all the time because your lungs will have a more difficult time coughing out the bacteria. Prop yourself up on pillows. I just got over a cold and fought it well with mega doses of Vitamin C.

The flu is nothing to fool around with. It IS a killer and has been deadly in young people. I told college sophomore grandson to wash his hands constantly and stay away from sick people in his dorm. He rolled his eyes. He brought home a bad cold which he passed to his parents so they all had a sickly Xmas.

In the middle of last night, I awoke with a dry cough out of nowhere. I couldn't stop coughing and was so depressed that I was getting the flu. Then it stopped and now nothing but I think it's lurking. What to do? I ate my usual giant bowl of five fruits including blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cherries, watermelon and will drink extra lemon water.

@lilly316 That's how mine started. No runny noise, just a dry incessant cough for 5 weeks. I didn't realize how awful I felt until I started to feel better.

I still don't know if it was a cold or the flu - but I sure felt awful.

Take care of yourself.

I got sick the day after Christmas and had a sore throat for 5 days. I'm still coughing and my nose is a little runny. Staying low and eating a lot of crackers!! I have been very nauseas lately. Hopefully it clears up in the next week.

I went to visit an elderly friend in the hospital last Sunday. He had pneumonia which developed from the flu. We had to wear surgical masks. Guess what? I started getting flu like symptoms the next day. Shivering. Lie grade fever.

A few days after Christmas my daughters both got the stomach flu and I feel very lucky that no one else got that since we had a house full of guests. I'm on week two of a cold, but it is totally a head cold with lots of Puffs Plus being used and almost over. Dh started getting the same cold last night.

Good health - thankfully.

Had a blocked catheter replaced a few days after Christmas ... and after a walk to the garage to get my car, they told me that they didn't want me to drive it home ... so now it's on its way to the scrapyard.

I was at home, during cold, windy, snowy weather for just over a week and didn't see anyone but landlord's son, who was going to take me with him when he went home to town ... but forgot.

Son's van is operational, after repair, and I'm borrowing it for the present.

Maybe I'd better plan to spend much of the time at home.

ole joyfuelled ... who's now fuelling son's vehicle, for the present

I'm sorry to hear that some are under the weather but glad to see that others are fine or are recovering. Take care, stay warm and feel better if you are ill.

I feel like c&#* but it's not the flu - just my chronic respiratory problems being made worse by my GERD. My meds are no longer working except to get rid of the acid. Doctor first said there was a new surgical treatment - now not enthusiastic about it. Pulmonologist is saying that it's not the GERD - that it's "idiopathic". Well, when one can taste it in the back of ones mouth, it sure ain't "idiopathic". I need to call my old pulmonologist who moved to Cleveland - just haven't felt well enough to fight with anyone. I guess this is how old people die- they just don't feel well enough to fight the medical system anymore. And no, my children will not do it for me - they never question what a doctor says. I guess I did a bit of too much teaching them "respect for authority"!

I've developed a Loose cough that I swear will bring up both lungs. I feel fine. I visited a friend on Monday who was later diagnosed with bronchitis. Mayo web site say bronchitis itself isn't contagious. Last night I could only sleep on my side without having a non stop coughing attack.