Why do you think the US government doesn’t remind us how to avoid cold and flu at the beginning of every flu season?

Isn’t a known by everyone how to avoid the flu? And here is the thing with the flu. If you have the flu you know you are sick and will probably just stay home since you feel like shit. Or it will be totally apparent to everyone around you that you have it so they can stay away.

That is the scary part about Covid-19… A person could pass it along and not know they have it. And here is one very big reason why it is not like the flu.

Because you do not have joined up health service. Here in the UK we are reminded about colds and flu, including a voluntary vaccination programme provided by the national health service for vulnerable people and the over 65’s.

@johnpowell Colds and flu are contagious BEFORE symptoms just like COVID19.

COVID19 seems to have a longer presymptomatic contagious period, but most colds and flu are contagious 1–2 days before you start feeling sick.

This has been well known for as long as I can remember. I don’t mean every person knows, I guess some people weren’t taught it in their high school science classes and their parents didn’t know either, but I do mean everyone in the medical field should know. That’s my point, we need every person to know so they behave differently.

These facts about cold and flu are another reason it’s inexcusable that any health official wasn’t assuming COVID19 was contagious before symptoms, even if they missed what Burx, Fauci, and many others had been saying the last 3 weeks in press conferences and couldn’t seduce it themselves from us quarantining asymptomatic people beginning back 6 weeks ago.

I don’t need the government to remind me to be responsible!!! I usually cut back. on my social activities about mid September & I get my Flu shot around mid October. I also make my own version of an all natural Flu killer with my essential oils around mid September. It seems to help me to keep from getting the Flu to begin with. The shot doesn’t always work as needed.

@LadyMarissa Yes we do. Didn’t you see @johnpowell’s answer. I’m not picking on him, many people don’t know you can pass the germs before you feel sick. Maybe you know already, but millions of people don’t.

@JLeslie Yes, I have been aware of that since I was a child, so I’ve always assumed that everybody around me might give me the Flu even when they didn’t look sick. I’ve never gone into total isolation but was always aware of the possible dangers around me!!!

Because it is a known danger. They don’t remind you to look both ways before crossing the street. Also, there is a vaccine for it which is widely advertised.

It’s not known! Many people don’t know how flu is passed around.

For many people this whole C19 thing is the first time they are really beginning to understand how people get sick. C19 is almost exactly the same as cold and flu and it’s like brand new information to a ton of people. The only difference is C19 seems to have a longer incubation period, and a longer shedding period once I’ll also.

A ton of people still think they get sick from cold weather. Or, get sick from change of season. They don’t understand the mechanism.

Typo: once ill also.

Like others have said, it IS known. There are reminders all over in the fall to get a flu shot, and most people know how it is transmitted, but just choose not to panic.
As for colds, people very often refuse direct contact when they are sick.

The vast majority of us are aware that contagion can happen before symptoms manifest, but recognize that a cold is not that big a deal for most. Those that are at high risk for dire consequences know how to protect themselves.

Most news outlets in the country cover these basics often during cold and flu season anyway, there is no reason for the government to make announcements.

Anyone interested here is a link about cold and flu. Look under contagious to see explanations on how long before during and after cold and flu are contagious. https://www.medicinenet.com/how_long_is_a_cold_or_flu_contagious/article.htm#how_long_is_a_cold_or_flu_contagious

@canidmajor I’m glad you know. There are a ton of people who don’t. Just like they don’t know there are 50 states in the United States. You would be shocked how many people in one of my college classes got that wrong when a professor asked on an anonymous questionnaire the first day of class. The majority of the class got it wrong.

I was taught from a young age. And every year the news stations around here do reminders during their news casts.

@chyna What do the news stations say?

I got 3–4 emails and a couple of printed pieces from my employer and other agencies telling me about the flu last fall.

But honestly, I am 60+ years old am pretty aware of the flu, just like I am aware of Christmas, Easter, and pollen season.

I’m not sure that it’s the role of government to be our nannies.

They do reminders that it is flu and cold season. Get your flu shot, cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, stay home if you are sick. That type of thing.

Does it say anywhere you are contagious before you have symptoms and that the virus lives on surfaces?

I’m just starting to realize that people only hear parts of the messaging. I don’t think most people think in terms of shaking hands, sharing pens, and potluck dinners serving spoons might get you sick.

I think most people aren’t as frightened of getting a cold or even the flu, although that can be bad, as they are of Covid-19 which by all descriptions and the number of dead is much, much worse.

If you are that worried every winter, you can stay inside, not go to pot luck dinners, get your flu shot and refuse to shake hands. Frankly, I’m looking forward to some human touch when this dies down.

@JLeslie, you assume that so many are ignorant because they are not as paranoid as you.
Your assumption is incorrect.

They expect us to remember such things from year to year.
@canidmajor @JLeslie is correct in that people in general are stupid as all get out.

No, @kritiper, they are not.

I work in local government and there is a lot of information on all kinds of health issues, year round.

One thing that’s ironic is that there are a lot of people in the local community who want their taxes lowered, want budgets cut, want smaller government, and so when budgets are cut and government is forced to reallocate resources, people get upset when services are cut.

People will still want their “Cadillac services” and bitch and moan when things are cut. The budget money can only go so far. When people come in to apply for services and the lines are longer, or they want better facilities in the parks, or they want the roads plowed in a snow storm, or they want an autopsy report in a month instead of three months, these are all examples of how budget cuts and lower taxes affect us in personal ways.

Not directed at the OP personally or anybody in Fluther, just talking about what I know and see every day as a government worker.

Obama did, and he was ridiculed for it.

@canidmajor Yes, in general, they are. So my experiences with them divulge.

I’ll bet there is more about it in northern states. Remember I’m in FL. Vacation and sun, and don’t dampen anyone’s fun. Although, I didn’t see it when I lived in TN either.

@Caravanfan That’s interesting. I don’t remember that. Who criticized him? Was it for spending the money on ad space? Or, putting fear into people?

@canidmajor I don’t want anyone to be paranoid. Simply prudent. Plenty of people know, plenty of people don’t. There are millions of people in America who are ignorant about these sorts of things that are basic to you.

There are still tons of people sharing drinks, eating off of each other’s plates, double dipping, I am not talking about SO’s, going to work sick (even when they don’t have to for the pay) shaking hands during flu season (I was in TN in February and every house I went in to for house shopping the realtor wanted to shake my hand, even open houses with 20 people walking around and schools had been closed a few days for flu of all things). We have immigrants in this country who never made it to high school and people born here who didn’t make it through high school, who didn’t get much of any science education. I won’t bore you with more examples, I have plenty of very specific ones.

Oh, and this, please watch the 30 second video. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/02/georgia-gov-brian-kemp-who-resisted-strict-coronavirus-measures-says-he-just-learned-it-transmitted-asymptomatically/%3foutputType=amp

@jca2 Good points. Money I’m sure is part of it. Although, @Caravanfan mentioned when it was done by Obama he was ridiculed. I wonder why people were against it.

@JLeslie You don’t remember that whole thing where Obama was trying to tell people to sneeze or cough into their elbow instead of their hands? Fox News had a field day with that one. “Now OBAMA is telling us how to sneeze!”

@Caravanfan I don’t remember that it was Obama. I do remember that it became a big thing several years ago to sneeze into elbows instead of our hands. My memory is faulty with the details I guess.

So political everything. Well, luckily it kind of caught on in spite of Fox I guess.

@Caravanfan @JLeslie I remember when Michelle Obama tried to tell people that diet and exercise were important. Yep! Fox, Rushbo, and their ilk did have a field day.

Your health is not Uncle Sugar’s responsibility. Your health is not your doctor’s responsibility. Your health is your responsibility.

We all know what to do. Eat a healthy diet. Get your sleep. Do physical exercise regularly and vigorously. Lay off the tobacco, booze, and other recreational drugs. Maintain a healthy body weight.

Government (or your doctor) can’t be holding your hand all the time and force you to make the right decisions..

@gondwanalon I disagree. Other people’s habits regarding infectious disease and smoking inside public areas directly effects other people’s health. That makes it the domain of the government. Even diet and booze we could argue costs society a lot of money, but I typically don’t extend the responsibility to that. I keep it at the physical health of the innocent bystander.

@JLeslie For emergencies like the current pandemic of course the State and Federal governments need to step in. Also for general guidance. But look around you. Most folks in the USA reach their elder years in pretty bad physical shape. Many are over fat, out of shape with many ailments like diabetes, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, heart diseases. etc. Some poor individuals are sick from no fault of there own (genetics, injury, infections) but most folks know what to do to be healthy yet ignore sound medical advice. Through years of self abuse they end up sick and out of shape and expect doctors to make them healthy with a pill or surgery. Why do they ignore medical advice? Because it’s not easy. In fact it’s very hard and takes a lot of self discipline.

@gondwanalon My argument here is a decent percentage of people living in America don’t know how infectious disease is passed around. I think everyone is afraid of a sneeze or cough getting on them, but I think a lot of people don’t know or don’t care about getting others sick, or others getting them sick.

I’m not looking for people to walk around constantly afraid, or obsessing about germs (right now we all are, but I mean when things are normal). I’m talking about simple basics.

Here are some examples:

Someone I know very well was telling me about the test he has to take for the health department because he owns a restaurant. I’ll never forget him telling me some of the Q, and one was asking how long you should wash your hands and he said, “I know wash very fast.” His English is broken. I was like “fast?” He said, “yeah got to get to the next customer.”

I’ve had a scratch in my throat and told people don’t get close I might be getting sick and they say, “oh I’m not worried,” and give me a hug. Who are they hugging the day after as they are starting to shed the cold they caught from me? Will they be ordering McD’s on the touch screen immediately before you?

My girlfriend S will just pick up my glass and drink from it. She does it to everyone.

I think millions of people didn’t know touching your eyes or nose can get you sick before this.

We tell people not to shake hands so they want to do a fist bump instead. No! Then they say ok elbow bump. WTF?! We have been telling people to sneeze and cough in their elbow.

I won’t bore you with more.

Maybe it expects us to take a little bit of responsibility for ourselves while it takes care of things we can’t do.

And of course there are other sources of information besides the federal government. How about, for example, health classes in school? and biology classes? How about books, pamphlets in doctors’ offices, medical personnel, libraries? An awful lot of ignorance is self-inflicted.

@Jeruba Well, people like my in-laws probably wouldn’t do any of that, especially if the pamphlets are only in English.

All your suggestions sound good. I certainly agree with it being part of K-12 education, it was mine. I went to public school, so I guess in a way that is government.

My FIL didn’t finish primary school. My MIL it was either 6th or 8th grade. I always thought 8th, but my husband corrected me a couple of years ago. Neither went to school in America.

My in-laws don’t go to the library. Until recently my FIL only goes to the doctor when sick, he’s 79.

Almost everything they know about illness is from their parents, and a lot of that information has been shown to be wrong in the last 50 years.

Part of their ignorance is they think they already know things, so they aren’t seeking new information, it needs to be put right in front of their face. Once in front of their face then it’s hit or miss if they change their thoughts on the matter.

My husband knows more, but I think because of me. He has an MBA. I have no idea if he was taught this stuff in K-12. His family overall has very good hygiene, but something as specific as how viruses incubate and spread, it’s just a vague idea for them. I’d bet his siblings also are clueless about viral transmission. One sibling has a high school diploma, and went to finishing school in Switzerland (but didn’t finish her finishing school). The other dropped out in 11th grade I think. Both attended private schools K-12, but not in America.

My husband’s family is an immigrant story, but there are similar born in America stories all over our country. Keep in mind 1 in 7 people in America were born outside of the United States.

The government and other health officials seem to understand this, and that’s why they talk about how C19 is spread and how to stop the spread over and over. C19 isn’t different from cold and flu in terms of distancing, touching surfaces, and washing your hands. It looks to have a slightly longer incubation period on average, but cold and flu have incubation and asymptomatic viral shedding. I see a lot of people who don’t understand what any of that means. On fluther I can only think of a handful, and they take in the new info now that they have been told, but fluther does not represent the population at large in America.

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but common sense should engage.
1. You don’t lick a cactus
2. You don’t drink rubbing alcohol.
3. You don’t fart if you’re hiding in a closet because her husband came home unexpectedly.
4. You don’t just stand there defiantly after punching THE ROCK in his balls.
5. At the beginning of the season you go and get your flu shot, and you take care of yourself.