Not a Huge surprise, now is it?

I just read how the Tamiflu is not working so well in this flu season!!!  I am surely not amazed by this revelation.  I have personally seen MANY docs and other providers write scripts for Tamiflu if nothing else but for the reason someone asked for it.  They asked for it because a patient thought she had been "exposed" to the flu.  Sort of the the story behind how many antibiotics are no longer effective against certain bacteria.  The healthcare industry pushed, pushed for patients to be prescribed antibiotics for symptoms that were related to a virus.  Hello, a virus is not even remotely related to bacteria.  Patients asked and were prescribed antibiotics for colds - a virus.  

The flu virus is treated by managing the symptoms.  If there is vomiting and diarrhea, those symptoms are treated.  Coughing, fevers, and body aches are treated with cough syrups, tylenol and advil, and if severe with pain relievers.  An antibiotic will do nothing for the flu.

In the elderly,  the flu can, however, turn into pneumonia because a virus lowers an older person's immunity, and subjects him or her to respiratory bacteria.  Ok, pneumonia then needs to be treated with an antibiotic.

So, perhaps you are asking why is this person babbling about the flu.  Well, first of all, I read about it in Survival News http://www.survivalistnews.com/2008/12/21/msnbccom-early-flu-season-cases-are-resisting-tamiflu/.  Second, as preppers, it has two ramifications.  Get your darn flu and pneumonia (if you are over 65 or have a chronic illness).  Third, all preppers need to be able to identify the symptoms of the flu.  Our preparation storage must contain the medications to treat the resulting symptoms of the flu.  

Now back to our regularly scheduled prepping.