The flu has struck and men are crying

Jun 02, 2013 Features / Columnists, My Column

All over the country over the past few weeks I have been talking to people who sound as though they have either been doing something with their throat or they have something pushed up their nostrils. Many of those I happened to meet either have red rheumy eyes or a bad case of the cough. And even the cough seemed to be so horrendous that they clutched their chest and bent over. Right now I have joined those ranks. I am under the weather and quite frankly I have never felt worse.
I am not sure how long this thing started but during the past two weeks a lot of my friends developed these symptoms. To a man –and woman—they all cried “flu”. I am now crying.
In the 1960s I got hit by what was known as the Hong Kong flu. I never found out whether the flu originated in Hong Kong or it got the name because of the proliferation of Chinese movies that were shown then.
These were the karate movies such as Enter the Dragon, Praying Mantis, The Jumping Master and Kung Fu. Everything that came to the cinema appeared to have been Chinese so it was no surprise that Hong Kong flu came.
The next year there was the Asian flu and it was equally bad. Since those times there have been all kinds of flu, some of which never came to Guyana. There was the Avian Influenza or Bird Flu and Swine flu. I am not sure, too, whether, Guyanese actually died from the flu that came here but I do know that many bodies were so wracked that people prayed for death.
Speaking from experience – and this present one takes the cake – opening one’s eyes becomes a major chore. I am currently experiencing clouded vision. The mere sunlight is cause for headache. My taste buds have taken a vacation and my stomach has simply rebelled against food.
Yes, the flu is back. This past week some of my colleagues simply collapsed. They started sniffing and sneezing. Then they coughed and suddenly, there was the fever. They had got married in a union from hell. My association with them left me vulnerable. I am now paying for my ill-advised bravado.
I have often believed that nothing would faze me, but in all honesty I have been essentially reduced to a baby. Yesterday, I could not even get out of bed and being a man who can’t seem to remain in one place for too long it was a surprise to many that I had no objection to lying in my bed and moaning.
I know from my few treks to the United States that the authorities always ensure that they place announcements in the various newspapers and on television advising people to get their flu shots. In Guyana there is no such programme.
I heard of people going to the various hospitals in their numbers and to the pharmacies, but the experts all say that there is no cure; that the flu has to run its course. It usually lasts for a few days and it spares no one.
Amazingly, babies and very small children seem to cope better than adults. I have seen sick little children and I remain amazed at how well they react. Yes, they are cranky at times, but I look into their eyes that tell a whole story and apart from some bouts of crying, they bear their trials. Women are slightly better but the men are the worst.
Adult men cry out for everything. They want more attention than the babies and quite frankly, today I am no different.
On a serious note, Guyanese have developed immunities to almost everything, from salmonella typhi to some poisons. It must be the water they drink and the food they eat. Indeed, visitors who try to drink water from the taps in the city are confined to the lavatory and bed. With homegrown Guyanese, no such thing.
There is on record, the first time the Europeans brought the flu to these shores. The story is that they came into contact with the Amerindians and the flu spread like wildfire. It decimated entire villages. That is not going to happen again because the natural immune system is going to fight anything like flu.
That may be the reason why the authorities never worry about flu shots and things like that. Yet it would be interesting if the Ministry of Health would issue warnings because this time around, the flu has developed into a pandemic.
One thing must be said, I have taken a vow on my sick bed to be more respectful of the flu virus in future.

Latest News

The flu has struck and men are crying

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 28th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Milo/Massy U18 Football heats up with Round III action

BCB bowls off U19 Inter-club Competition today

Nedd, Thorne recalled ahead of final rounds

Mice and Jermaine $1.7M Linden Futsal tournament...

Slingerz FC hunt second win tonight

More sponsors on board ahead of Second Annual...

Features/Columnists

Is the time saved worth the risk?

The Caribbean: Destined to Grin and Bear the Consequences of Its Self-Created Vulnerabilities?

Who are the thugs and hooligans now (Part I)

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

The flu has struck and men are crying

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 28th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]