Once in the airways, the virus multiplies over and over again. As it does so it causes the first symptoms of flu – a runny nose, sore throat and a cough. The reason why you feel so bad with flu is that the body’s defence system tries to overcome the virus and releases substances to fight it.

From exhaustion to flu fatigue The general tiredness and cough may last for two to three weeks, so continue to drink plenty of liquids and eat healthily (4). If you like to keep fit, wait until your fever has subsided before exercising (8).

The influenza virus primarily attacks your respiratory tract: your nose, throat, and the tubes that lead to your lungs. So symptoms like a runny nose, a phlegmy cough, and a sore throat all make a lot of sense.

Symptoms usually appear from one to four days after exposure to the virus, and they last five to seven days. For people who’ve had a flu shot, the symptoms may last a shorter amount of time, or be less severe. For other people, the symptoms may last longer. Even when symptoms resolve, you may continue to feel fatigued.

They include fever, feeling feverish, the chills, and having a cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle or body aches, headache, and fatigue. Less common are vomiting and diarrhea. Children are more likely to have vomiting and diarrhea than adults are, the CDC says. Not everyone with the flu has a fever.

People with flu are most contagious in the first 3-4 days after their illness begins. Some otherwise healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick.

Individuals with suspected or confirmed flu, who do not have a fever, should stay home from work at least 4-5 days after the onset of symptoms. Persons with the flu are most contagious during the first 3 days of their illness.

In general, healthy people usually get over a cold in 7 to 10 days. Flu symptoms, including fever, should go away after about 5 days, but you may still have a cough and feel weak a few days longer. All your symptoms should be gone within 1 to 2 weeks.

“You Can’t Get the Flu More Than Once During Flu Season” It is possible that you could get infected with one strain and then another during a given season, especially if you haven’t been vaccinated and/or have a compromised immune system.

Common signs of an influenza infection include:

• coughing.
• runny or stuffy nose.
• sneezing.
• sore throat.
• fever.
• headache.
• fatigue.
• chills.

Unlike type A flu viruses, type B flu is found only in humans. Type B flu may cause a less severe reaction than type A flu virus, but occasionally, type B flu can still be extremely harmful. Influenza type B viruses are not classified by subtype and do not cause pandemics.

Several over-the-counter medications can help ease the symptoms of influenza. These are available from drug stores. In severe cases, a doctor may prescribe a course of antiviral drugs. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) are drugs that doctors may use to treat type A or type B influenza.

Influenza is a common cause of pneumonia, especially among younger children, the elderly, pregnant women, or those with certain chronic health conditions or who live in a nursing home. Most cases of flu never lead to pneumonia, but those that do tend to be more severe and deadly.

Most experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by tiny droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby.

††Lysol Disinfectant Spray kills Rhinovirus Type 39 and Influenza A Virus (H1N1) on hard, non-porous surfaces in 30 seconds. Lysol Disinfecting Wipes kills Influenza A Virus (H1N1) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus on hard, non-porous surfaces in 4 minutes.

Stay away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick. Continue to cover coughs and sneezes and wash hands even after you return to work. It is important to know that even if you don’t have a fever, you may have flu and be contagious if you get flu symptoms.

When applied to dried flu germs, hand sanitizer killed the virus in just eight seconds. The researchers, from Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, reason that thick, goopy mucus acts as a shield around the virus, preventing the hand sanitizer from fully penetrating it.

It’s always Happy Hour somewhere for a virus, although their ability to infect us changes throughout the year. Strictly speaking, viruses can’t ‘die off’ as they’re just inanimate strips of genetic material plus other molecules.