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Germ Warfare : Valley Students Are Losing the Fight Against Influenza

By HENRY CHU
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TIMES STAFF WRITER

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Is it Flu or Cold?

People often confuse the symptoms and treatment for influenza and the common cold. Vaccines against the flu should be received annually, but even so are only 60% to 70% successful in preventing infection. Flu shots should be received by mid-December, before the flu seasons begins.

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Common Cold

Stuffy nose

Fever

Sore throat and hoarseness

Aches and pains

Chills

Loss of appetite

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Influenza

Chills

Fever

Headache

Aches and pains

Weakness

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Common Cold

No cure available, but analgesics, decongestants, nasal sprays and vaporizersmay relieve discomfort. Those with fever should stay in bed to rest and avoid infecting others. Eat nourishing foods, drink plenty of water. Doctors can prescribe antibiotics to control bacterial complications.

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Influenza

Bed rest in a warm, well- ventilated room for those with a fever. analgesics for aches and pain and to reduce fever. Antibiotics and other drugs for the secondary infections that are responsible for most of the deaths associated with influenza.

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Source: Times staff report

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Henry Chu

Henry Chu first joined the Los Angeles Times in 1990 and worked primarily out of the San Fernando Valley office before moving to the foreign staff in 1998. He served as bureau chief in Beijing from 1998 to 2003, Rio de Janeiro from 2004 to 2005, New Delhi from 2006 to 2008 and London from 2009 to 2014. He was a 2014-15 fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard. From 2016-19 he was international editor at Variety magazine. A graduate of Harvard University, Chu returned to The Times in March 2020 as deputy news editor based in London. He left in 2024.

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