<p>One of my public health classmates is sick (she has a cold I think). She said “I think I have the flu from when I got the shot last week.” </p>
<p>GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH</p>
<p>^^^ <em>sigh</em></p>
<p>Mmm…that’s awkward.</p>
<p>That’s like on Saturday or Sunday, when my parents were supposed to be coming home from Florida, my sister posted on her facebook that she had the flu. I didn’t really believe her because I didn’t think she would be on facebook talking about it if she did, but then my mom told me she was too sick to travel and they didn’t come home. But they went out to dinner that night with her, and she was posting on facebook all about the restaurant, she was totally a-okay to travel the next day, and yesterday she was at a friends house playing with their baby. Sooooo it would appear that she did NOT have the flu. I wonder if she was even sick at all.</p>
<p>And people act like you’re just being dramatic when you say how sick the flu really makes you. Ignorance.</p>
<p>TV ads don’t help the situation either. There’s one that shows a woman sitting in a chair with a red nose and congestion; she appears to have a cold. “I have the flu and my OTC meds aren’t helping,” she announces, despite the fact that this woman clearly doesn’t have the flu or she would be flat on her back. The ad goes on to say that other OTC meds don’t do everything, and their superior OTC med is better. Then we see the woman, now presumably having taken their medicine, outside, looking perfectly healthy. </p>
<p>Yeah, right, the company is offering some drug that makes the flu go away. Hah. No wonder people think the flu isn’t so bad, seeing deceptive ads like that.</p>
<p>If you think all that is bad, my dd worked for a health organization and one of her bosses (who has a degree in public health) said that she didn’t believe in the “germ theory”! She actually believed in bad air which is what people use to call miasma.</p>
<p>I just read an interesting book about how strong the “miasma” theory was in the face of contrary evidence: [The</a> Ghost Map: The Story of London’s Most Terrifying Epidemic–and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World: Steven Johnson: 9781594482694: Amazon.com: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/The-Ghost-Map-Terrifying-Epidemic/dp/1594482691]The”>http://www.amazon.com/The-Ghost-Map-Terrifying-Epidemic/dp/1594482691)</p>
<p>I also read the book “The Great Influenza”. [The</a> Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History: John M. Barry: 9780143036494: Amazon.com: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/The-Great-Influenza-Deadliest-Pandemic/dp/0143036491]The”>http://www.amazon.com/The-Great-Influenza-Deadliest-Pandemic/dp/0143036491)</p>
<p>One of the most fascinating books I’ve ever read.</p>
<p>I’m starting to think it should be required reading by at least ONE adult in every household.</p>
<p>I still swear by this stuff. It is homeopathic, natural flu remedy. Don’t get me wrong…still take the flu shots, but this is my go to item when I get the bug not covered by that strain of shot that year. </p>
<p>Oscillococcinium</p>
<p>What does it do?</p>
<p>I recommend: [The</a> Discovery of the Germ: Twenty Years That Transformed the Way We Think About Disease (Revolutions in Science): John Waller: 9780231131506: Amazon.com: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Discovery-Germ-Transformed-Disease-Revolutions/dp/023113150X/ref=la_B001HD3W4K_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390415660&sr=1-1]The”>http://www.amazon.com/Discovery-Germ-Transformed-Disease-Revolutions/dp/023113150X/ref=la_B001HD3W4K_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390415660&sr=1-1)</p>
<p>^ Just looked up oscillococcinum. All I can say is, I’m glad you’re still getting the flu vaccine.</p>
<p>[Oscillococcinum</a> - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscillococcinum]Oscillococcinum”>Oscillococcinum - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>Its active ingredient is placebonium.</p>
<p>Seriously, if this product is what the Wikipedia article about it says it is, it can’t possibly work.</p>
<p>Another suggestion:[Germs</a> Make Me Sick! (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2) (Reading Rainbow book):Amazon:Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0064451542]Germs”>http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0064451542)</p>
<p>Oscillococcinum: wow, that’s expensive for a sugar pill.</p>
<p>From the wiki article: “This is such a high dilution that the final product likely contains not a single molecule of the original liver… None of its active ingredient is present in a dose of the final product, nor is there any credible evidence that duck liver is effective in relieving flu symptoms in the first place. Homeopaths claim the diluted molecules leave an “imprint” in the remedy, but there is no known mechanism for how this could occur.”</p>
<p>Well, wikipedia suggests it is all placebo. It is supposed to shorten severity and duration of classic flu symptoms -aches, fever, malaise. </p>
<p>I have used this product for about ten years. I have given it to a kid running a high fever who could hardly stand up and seen remarkable improvement. </p>
<p>If you have the real flu, you are down for a week. If you are lucky, you get better and headback to work or school. if not, you might end up in hospital, or worse. </p>
<p>If it is a placebo, I stand by it. I have asthma and repeated bronchial pneumonias, and I think this remedy has helped. I have felt better after taking it.</p>
<p>Why does any alternative non-western medication treatment work? Because our brains are wired to believe it might work? Acupuncture makes no sense to me, but loads of people swear by it. Hypnosis sounds questionable, but same deal. </p>
<p>I understand placebo effects, but I also understand what I have seen, and felt. So, those expensive tablets will remain in my medicine cabinet.</p>
<p>I do feel some qualms about pooh-poohing something which may have a placebo effect, especially when there isn’t anything real that works better. But people do sometimes delay real treatment in favor of useless homeopathic remedies–and somebody is making $$$ from useless sugar and water pills.</p>
<p>I suggest Skittles instead of Oscillococcinum. Same mechanism of action, tastes better.</p>