'Stomach Flu' Rips Through the Nation

USA Today via AOL ^ | 01/09/07 | By Anita Manning

[Bella_Bru]

You have to go to the link...Gannett and all.

[onyx]

ping

[Red Badger]

I've started using a special "glove" for key pads or public writing pens.....

A plain wooden pencil with eraser works well on keypads.........

[Yaelle]

My middle son got it Christmas morning 2 AM. He was so violently sick that whole day that I actually paged the pediatrician 2x on CHRISTMAS (I felt horrible). The pain was what frightened me. In between bouts the pain would grow to such an extent that he was in absolute agony. I would have done anything to take that stomach pain from him. I just sat there rubbing his tummy with tears rolling down my cheeks.

It's been 2.5 weeks and no one else has been hit in our house... yet? I hope the bug is gone.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Sadly, there are plenty of idiots here on FR who actually take pride in not washing their hands when in public, such as in this thread:

Survey finds airport restroom users seldom wash

[Yaelle]

Did it hit with little to no warning?

My son was doing cartwheels the evening before. Right before bed he had a headache. At two am he was hit like a ton of bricks. I am a fellow emetophobe so I have been anxiously watching the rest of us for symptoms but it's been 2.5 weeks and so far nothing has hit.

[Bella_Bru]

You got it probably from the restaurant. Cook or server who was sick and didn't wash his or her hands and then handled your food.

[Howlin]

One of the problems is, at least on the east coast, it's not cold enough to kill it off!

My husband thought I was complaining way too much until he got it.

Stomach flu you can deal with; it was the pain for us that was our undoing. We just weren't expecting that.

[AppyPappy]

Washing too much causes this stuff. You need to toughen up the old defenses. Lick the doorknobs.

[discostu]

Wow, I just can't imagine devoting that much energy to fear of germs. You probably spend more hours a year worrying about getting sick than I spend sick.

[Bella_Bru]

You know there are forums for us emetophobes, right?

[Mo1]

Well .. at least I didn't puke :0)

[surrey]

We were hit with no warning. We had a wonderful dinner and by 2AM we were all in agony. My son said he can't remember ever being that sick. My 20 month old grandaughter recovered the quickest.

[Red Badger]

That's just it. I was TIRED OF GETTING SICK! So I decided to do something about it. It's really just plain common sense. Not hard to do. Everything your mother told you was true...............

[FarRightFanatic]

LOL--we've taught our kids to do the same.

[Tanniker Smith]

Hit the whole family to varying degrees. I think I had it worst although it didn't appear like that to anyone else. I basically didn't eat much for a week. And I was more than a little dehydrated. Drank plenty of fluids, but barely sweat that first day. Wasn't pleasant, but the worst of it was over right away. I was more afraid of overeating too soon.

[Jeff Chandler]

Of course, there is no substitute for hand washing with soap or detergents, but alcohol gel does provide another layer of protection against dangerous germs and viruses. Think of it in the same way as having a skill in a martial art: no substitute for a gun, but helpful nonetheless.

[dawn53]

Well, I don't know what virus we have around here, but it starts with a fever and vomiting that lasts a couple days. Then it seems to develop into a mild cold with a really bad, hacking cough that hangs on for days.

Funny thing is, my teenage son and all the kids in his youth group at church seem to have it. However, no adults, that I know of, have gotten it, even though their kids are coughing every other breath (must be a virus that hit us when we were younger.)

[Red Badger]

Our Wal-Mart has recently installed Gel Dispensers by the door to the restrooms.....

[Calvin Locke]

I heard on a science show that viruses can "live" up to 48 hours on door knobs, and such, depending on conditions.
(then transfer has to occur to eyes, nose, etc)

[Calvin Locke]

I didn't think they did creative justice to an obvious softball...