The winter cold has arrived to our tropical paradise. In this time of the year I sometimes wish I were nearer the North pole, feeling warm and cosy inside and avoiding to step outside unless absolutely necessary. In our old house on top of the hill in Taramay it is nearly as chilly inside as outside, in spite of some energy-devouring electric appliances. All kinds of influenza viruses are hitting the good people of Almuñécar.

Today, when rushing through the streets of the P4 to buy the necessary food – and other stuffs to keep the spirits going, I met hundreds of sneezing and coughing people, wrapped up in warm coats and with scarves draped four times around their necks. People were very sympathetic. “Usted tambien tiene la gripe. ¡Que lastima!” What a consolation to meet all these co-sufferers. Yes, I have been hit by one of the worst flu bugs since my freshman years at university, when the first wave of the Asiatic flu hit the world. This was an experience I will never forget.

Although far from as devastating as the Spanish flu in 1918, it was a bad enough pandemic. I have been googling through the Internet to find out what kind of virus I have been hit by this time.

I learned that influenza viruses are classified as A, B and C. They are RNA viruses belonging to a family with a very distinguished name: Orthomyxoviridae. These viruses are only distant cousins to the human parainfluenza viruses generating from the Paramyxovirus family that are a common cause of respiratory problems in children, such as croup, but can also cause a disease similar to influenza in adults. The type A viruses are the most virulent among the flu types and can give rise to human pandemics. Wild aquatic birds are the natural hosts for a large variety of influenza A, of which the serotype H1N2 is endemic in humans and pigs. Flu virus B almost exclusively hits humans and is less common than influenza A. The only other beings that might be hit by flu virus B are the seal and the ferret. Pandemics of flu virus B do not occur.

Influenza virus C has one species that infects humans, dogs and pigs, sometimes causing severe illness and local epidemics.

Well, I won’t go into further scientific details, but I think I have been hit by type A, or perhaps C… Not that it makes me feel a bit better to know that I share my illness with birds, dogs and pigs and not with seals or ferrets.

If you have the flu, it will usually be possible to treat yourself effectively at home. It is important to rest, keep warm, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and, if necessary, take paracetamol or anti-inflammatory medicines to lower a high temperature and relieve pain. Persons who are in a high-risk group could ask their doctor to prescribe antiviral medication. Antibiotics are not prescribed for flu as they have no effect on viruses. However, occasionally it may be necessary to treat complications, such as serious chest infections or pneumonia, with antibiotics.

¡Pronta recuperación!