Does anyone know if you are able to get the flu more then once a year? The reason I ask is I had a family that was out sick last week with the flu. The thing is though they had it two weeks before that-like a 24 hour thing. This last one was pretty bad and lasted several days. I just didn't think you could get it that quick again.

I posted last week about how to keep sickness away from your home and now with this happening I'm starting to wonder what is going on. Its not just my childcare though, its been ramped in the schools and childcares here.

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hhmm, that's interesting. You would think the immune system would already have the code to beating that flu unless:

1) Everyone's immune system is dependent on antibiotics
2) Whatever virus/bacteria is out there is mutating and learning to defeat out immune systems quicker.

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I know its very perplexing and why I'm getting very irratated with the sickness this year.

I also had two cases of pink eye go through the childcare along with this flu in the last month. I had 4 cases of flu in the children go through last week and everyone was done in about 48 hours and this one case lasted about a week. Really do not want anything going through here again as I have parents who are upset that I have missed quite a bit of work because of being sick. Never ending cycle this year it seems!

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I think there are different strains of the flu, aren't there? So, I would think the same person could get sick from different strains of the flu during the same year. Also, there are so many viruses out there that seem like the flu but are not technically the flu (my pediatirician tested my daughter once this year when I was convinced it was the flu, but it wasn't...if it had been, he would have prescribed whatever they give to shorten the duration of the flu). I think people often say they have the flu, but it is actually another of the (it seems like) zillions of viruses out there. I know several families who have had a stomach virus go through thier homes more than once this season. So, unfortunately, I think it is very possible.

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What perplexes me is being sick within two weeks with some pretty bad stuff. I mean literally two week! That is why I think I can't get rid of the sick germs this year. As soon as I get things cleaned up and everything we have already been exposed to something but either the same one or someone else has brought something in.

Also, I can see getting a different strain but not that close to each other! So Well hopefully we are over everything and its just a well ride from here on out for many, many years!

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Yes there are different strains so maybe they got a different flu virus this time than they got the first time. That's why I think that the flu vaccine is a hoot. This year's vaccine's are always last year's strand and by the time that you get a vaccination not only are you hoping that if you do come in contact with the flu virus that you get the one that you got the vaccine for (last year's virus) and also that the flu virus hasn't mutated so much that the vaccine is ineffective. That's why some people still get sick from the flu even after getting the flu vaccine.

Maybe they don't practive good basic hand washing and hygene KWIM?

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Yeah...that is kind of crazy! I did have one little girl who had a cough every other week. She would be booger and cough free for a day, I would rejoice, and then the next day she would be back with the nose and coughing. She went to the childcare at the local gym a few times a week so I really think she was picking up germs there and bringing them back to me. That was the part of in-home childcare I disliked...the germs coming in from other families and invading my family.

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Am I remembering wrong or did you say it was a stomach thing? vomiting, diahrea, etc?

If so, that's not the flu...that's probably bacterial, and can come in a few different forms, but I think the most likely culprit is E-coli or another bacteria. Icky! For some reason, it's often called "the flu", although it has nothing to do with Influenza. Some people call it "the stomach flu"

If it's the flu, it chills, fever above 101 or so, aches, etc. It hits you like a freight train..you are fine at noon, by two you are shivering and miserable. There is usually one main strain going around in a year, but the virus changes, or there could be a couple strains out there.... so yes, you can get it twice, but if you do..buy lottery tickets...because it's unlikely.

A cold virus has the same symptoms, but usually no fever and less aches....and it comes on s l o w l y...goes away slowly. It can cause conjuctivitis (pink eye), which some people call "a cold in your eye". Colds can get pretty bad, like getting down into your lungs, which leads to bronchitis and occasionally pneumonia (but not bacterial pneumonia which is different, I think). I had a cold that turned into pnemonia once-the main symptoms where that I felt like a rubber band was around my lower chest. I started to think maybe it was the flu, but it never "peaked". A flu you feel miserable, then worse, then a little worse, then all the sudden you realize your starting to feel better. This was just several days of equally miserable.


Then there is bacterial conjuctivitis...which is the one little kids usually get and graciously share with their friends.


Ok, so obviously I am NOT a doctor, but this is all the info I have gleaned from years of listening and experiencing many a sickness. I don't know if it helps, but it's all I've got...

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Yes, 3 of them had the throwing up/diarreha thing and one passed on through the family. All over within 48 hours.

The fourth one had-fevers, achy, chills, pink eye, double ear infection and then something else. Two weeks earlier had the throwing up/diarreha thing.

I was just thinking that it was alot in a two week time.

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Yes, it sounds like a LOT in two weeks, but they are not related, IMO. I'm thinking if you are sick with the throwing up/d. thing, then get exposed to something else, your body is going to be challenged to fight it off.

I think you can do all the sanitizing and cleaning in the world, and they are still going to spread things around. Early childhood and group care means lots of sick sometimes. I kind of think it gives their immune systems a good workout, and they'll get sick less when they're older.

To keep yourself healthy; take care of yourself. Eat well, organic as much as possible, rest well, take time to relax, exercise, hit the vitamin C, lots of fluids, wash your hands alot. whew...when are you supposed to work?

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thanks to our Canadian friends for this helpful link:


http://www.health.gov.sk.ca/adx/aspx....pdf&l=English

Here is the low down on "stomache flu" looks like I was wrong...the most common cause is viral, 2nd is bacterial, last is parasitic (ew)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastroenteritis

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