Selects: How the Flu Works

Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant delve into the world of the influenza virus, discussing its different types and contagious nature.

Influenza Virus Strains and Subtypes Infect Various Species

In their discussion, Clark and Bryant clarify there are three primary types of influenza viruses: A, B, and C.

Three Main Types of Influenza: A, B, and C

Type A influenza is the most common and best known for causing severe illness. Type B influenza is milder, less common, and almost exclusively affects humans, except for a rare case involving seals. Type C is even less prevalent than type B, mostly infecting humans and pigs, without any major known epidemics to its credit.

Influenza a Infects Humans, Birds, Pigs, etc.; B and C Mainly Humans

Typically, influenza is transmitted from animals to humans, with birds often playing a role in the spread of the virus. While previously it was believed that for humans to contract the flu from birds, it required a "mixing vessel," such as a pig (which can be infected by both bird and human flu viruses), to create a new strain, cases have shown avian flu can jump directly from birds to humans. This is especially true for individuals in close contact with poultry.

Influenza Hijacks Cells to Replicate and Spread

The flu virus is known to bind with cells in the respiratory tract, where it the ...

Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark discuss the flu, as well as the symptoms and complications associated with it, emphasizing the seriousness of this common but potentially dangerous illness.

Flu Symptoms: Fever, Body Aches, Cough, Sneezing, Congestion

The flu is recognized as a respiratory illness with symptoms often similar to those of a cold, such as coughing, sneezing, and congestion. However, both Chuck and Josh note key differences, like the presence of a fever and severe body aches. Josh even recalls a night when he woke up shivering, indicating a fever, and Chuck describes the aches as making him feel "like dog doo doo." They agree that the symptoms of the flu, which include fever, body aches, cough, sneezing, and congestion, distinctly mark the illness and its intensity compared to a common cold.

Immune Response Causes Respiratory Infection Symptoms

Chuck and Josh attribute the symptoms of the flu, such as inflammation in the lungs, to the body's immune response to the respiratory infection. They explain that as the body fights off the virus, symptoms like fever and lung inflammation often occur.

Flu Can Cause Serious Complications for High-Risk Groups

Chuck and Josh stress that the flu can be very dangerous, with the potential to result in death. They cite statistics from various flu seasons to illustrate the serious impact of the flu and its complications, including an average of around 36,000 deaths per year in the US. The World Health Organization reports up to half a million people worldwide can die annually from the flu.

High-risk groups like children under two and the elderly are more likely to suffer from the flu because of their less developed or weaker immune systems. These groups are particularly susceptible to serious complications from the flu.

Bacterial Pneumonia: A Flu-related Complication

One of the most serious complications from the flu is bacterial pneumonia, which can occur as a secondary infection after the body’s immune system has been weakened by the flu virus. The hosts describe the potential for bac ...

The importance of vaccinations, the judicious use of antiviral medications, and general flu prevention methods are the topics discussed by Clark and Bryant to ensure public health and safety.

Flu Vaccines: Primary Prevention, Effectiveness Varies Yearly

Vaccines are heralded as the primary form of defense against the flu.

Flu Vaccines Expose the Body to Inactivated or Weakened Strains, Allowing the Immune System to Build Antibodies

Clark and Bryant explain that the annual flu vaccine exposes the body to not live version of the predicted virus strain, leading the immune system to produce antibodies. Vaccinations are especially encouraged for families with newborns under six months old, as these infants are not eligible for the vaccine.

Annual Flu Vaccine Effectiveness Varies Due To Predicted Strains

The effectiveness of the flu vaccine generally ranges from 40 to 60% for the strain predicted that year, and this variance depends on the accuracy of the scientists' predictions. Specifically, vaccines may sometimes not confer immunity effectively due to factors such as the mutation of the virus when grown in egg protein, a typical medium used for vaccine production. For instance, the hosts mention an occurrence with an H3 type flu in Australia where only 15% of vaccinated individuals gained immunity.

Clark and Bryant discuss that the CDC has stopped recommending the nasal flu vaccines. They also explain the search for a universal flu vaccine targeting more stable parts of the flu virus common among all strains may provide a longer-term or even lifelong solution to flu immunity.

Judicious Use of Antivirals Reduces Flu Severity and Duration to Avoid Resistance

Clark and Bryant stress the importance of judicious use of antiviral drugs like [restricted term], [restricted term], and [restricted term] to prevent the flu from replicating or trapping it inside a cell. They argue that using antivirals indiscriminately, similarly to how antibiotic overuse can lead to antibiotic resistance, could promote the evolution of drug-resistant flu strains.

Prevent Flu: Handwash, Cover Coughs, Stay Home if Sick

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