I think over the course of two year half the world or a quarter of the world or some such staggering percentage caught it.

Yeah, well, let's talk percentages.

Black Death! One third of Europe: dead.

Sure, but that's just Europe.

This is interesting:

After the lethal second wave struck in the autumn of 1918, the disease died down abruptly. New cases almost dropped to nothing after the peak in the second wave.[9] In Philadelphia for example, 4,597 people died in the week ending October 16, but by November 11 influenza had almost disappeared from the city. One explanation for the rapid decline of the lethality of the disease is that doctors simply got better at preventing and treating the pneumonia which developed after the victims had contracted the virus, although John Barry states in his book that researchers have found no evidence to support this. Another theory holds that the 1918 virus mutated extremely rapidly to a less lethal strain. This is a common occurrence with influenza viruses: there is a general tendency for pathogenic viruses to become less lethal with time, providing more living hosts.[9]

[link]

HIV? Y'all can just chill out any time now, m'kay?

I had a good friend who used to argue the point with his HIV, actually. "Look, you kill me and you're dead too..."

There's a new theory that some of the deaths in 1918 (they really have no idea how many) were actually caused by an overdose of aspirin, which was the new wonder drug at the time and the safe dosages hadn't really been worked out yet. And the symptoms of aspirin overdose look pretty similar to the flu, so if someone who already had the flu started getting them, it would be kind of hard to tell. [link]

Hil, best of luck with the PT. It definitely sounds like a good idea to ask about a cane/crutches. You can find prettier canes! [link] But crutches are better for supporting knees. See what your PT thinks.

H1N1 is killing people here too, although in smaller numbers than in the US, I believe. I'm certain that those numbers will drop if people 'at risk' take up the vaccine (apparently it's just arrived with GPs - I was wrong about it being available before). I still don't know if I'd have it, given the speed at which it's been released. Fortunately, I've had H1N1 (that was two weeks of much fun).

Cinnamon pop tarts

I've finally set up my tea machine in the study. This is going to increase productivity about 300% (as soon as I get off the internet and do some work). Today's selection: Darjeeling, brought back for me from India by someone who claims it's the brand the cricketers drink. It's good.

Speaking of the black death, I'm in the middle of The Black Death: A Personal History. It shows the effect of the plague and the associated hysteria and social chaos through the lens of a small village in Suffolk. It's pretty good for something that's neither fish nor fowl—neither entirely a scholarly discussion nor a novel, but a bit of both.

Mmmm, tea. I just finished my espresso so that is a theoretical Mmmm.

My son Brendon is home sick today. He was feeling awful when I picked him up from bowling yesterday. This morning he is still headachy. No fever. He was cold and clammy yesterday and this morning too. He just missed his car pool, so I expect he'll be feeling better soon.

We haven't had the flu shots yet. I haven't had one since the 60s. I'm going to let my doctor make the decision. Thing is my boys are both in HS which is a very touchy feely germy environment. DH and I spend most of our time in doctors offices which are also very germy places. So vaccination will likely happen.

I did have the seasonal flu shot this year, and for the first time, had a nasty reaction to it. 'Nasty' being very much relative, of course.

I think I'd much rather have mild flu-like symptoms for 36 hours than be knocked off my feet for a full week (which is what happened when I had the flu several years ago).

Speaking of the black death, I'm in the middle of The Black Death: A Personal History.

Ooo. A new-to-me book on the Black Death. Okay, I'm a bit obsessed with epidemic disease. The demise of the 1918 flu strain is probably a case of the fact it's not in a disease's survival interest to be too lethal, and the influenza virus is hugely adaptable. For example, to become really scary, Ebola would have to become less lethal. It's apparently been around for years, but it would kill off an entire village before anyone could get to the next village, then go back to living in its mysterious animal host.

Black Death! One third of Europe: dead.

For sheer numbers, you really need a worldwide pandemic. In India, for example, the 1918 flu killed about 10 percent of the population.