Adonis Diaries

Flu, Swine flu: Are women more exposed and vulnerable?

In my case, all kinds of flu are of the most severe kinds:  I am literally handicapped for three days; life is at its darkest, gloomiest, and most ominous phase.

All my joints are aching; I am constantly  sneezing, spitting, running of nose, and constantly blowing my noses.  I need to be lying down.  It is a period where skepticism, and contemplation of the frailty and absurdity of living converge as in mass marching demonstrations.

The next stage is of constant coughing, which lasts for weeks, and this phase is no better; but I can manage keeping doomsday at bay.

I am always amazed how most people with the flu go on, as if the flu is a minor set back amid their “overwhelming” troubles, tight schedule to satisfying world’s demands relying on their “broad” shoulders.

I used to catch the flu three times a year, but now I get it once every two years:  Is it the aging immunity to various  flu specimen or I learned to sleep 8 hours and taking a nap?

Do women succumb easier to swine flu than men?  Are all kinds of flu as contagious?

The odds are that women spread the swine flu more extensively than men.  Why?

This article is analyzing the incident rates in communicating the contagious flu viruses.  The two main factors are:

First,  “daily life behavior” with contacts of circle of friends and,

Second, hygiene behavior and trends.

First, women avoid to wash hands: They have the tendency to wash hands and faces far less frequently than man; compounded with aversion to soap for many reasons.

Second, women daily close circle of friends, family members, and relatives is vaster and more varied than men.

Third, women jobs are generally at the lower echelons and thus, come in contact with more co-workers and colleagues.

Fourth, women tend not to taking sick leaves seriously for many reasons; such as the need to keep their jobs, proving their capabilities to managers as to their higher endurance and thus, faking that flu are minor sicknesses.

I suggest that research be conducted to demonstrating my hypothesis and using patients (of both gender) in various types of flu.

The developed questionnaire should include the following:

One:  How often do you wash your hands per day?  Never; once; twice; three times; four times or more.

Two:  How often do you wash your face per day?  Women facial cosmetic cremes might be a factor in attaching and retaining flu viruses.

Three:  How often do you rinse your hair per day.  Women’s long and fluffy hair styles might be more conducive to attaching and capturing flu viruses than men’s hair style.

Four:  Do you use soap in washing hands and faces?

Five:  What kinds of disinfecting materials do you use?

Six:  How large is your daily circle of friends on average:  None; one; two; three; four and more

Seven:  How do you meet your circle of friends:  Shake hands; kiss on cheeks; hug; hold hands….

Eight:  What kinds of medium you use for blowing your nose:  Disposable tissues, handkerchief….

Nine:  When you blow your nose, how often to you use the same tissue…

Ten:  How do you dispose of the soiled tissue:  save it in bag/pocket; keep on desk; throw it on floor…

What can be done in flu season and when catching the flu?

First, call in sick:  You owe it to your colleagues at work to keeping them safe from your “minor” devastating incursions to the workplace.  If the manager refuses to taking the flu as a serious reason then, cough in his face several time and return home.  Make sure to call the manager next day to double-check whether he called in sick.

Second, if you can afford it, move to warmer and sunnier locations for the dreary season.

Third, listen to soothing music whose lyrics you don’t know in order not to get carried away with your croaky voice.

Fourth, it is the ideal season and the best advantage that internet and web social platforms can extend for connecting with friends, safely and healthily.

Note:  I don’t think I ever had the swine flu, so far.  From the description of the symptoms and duration of the sickness, I think I would have died.  Three weeks later in the illness and patients don’t feel any improvement:  They get the fever in evenings and feel functional at day; they have running noses and cough at the same time all the time…