Google has rolled out Flu Trends (www.google.org/flutrends), which uses computers to process millions of Internet searches people make for keywords that might be related to the flu — for instance “thermometer” “cough,” or “fever.” Flu Trends displays the results on a map of the U.S. and shows a chart of changes in flu activity around the country. Historical flu trend data are also overlayed. The x-axis of the graph represents the months of the year. Flu activity is represented in the y-axis. The data is meaningful because the Google division that created Flu Trends found a strong correlation between the number of Internet searches related to the flu and the number of people reporting flu symptoms.

Source:
http://www.google.org/flutrends

There are more than 50 distinct types of adenoviruses related to human illnesses. They are one cause of the common cold, and also trigger pneumonia and bronchitis. Severe illnesses are more likely in people with weaker immune systems.

A new variant, Ad14, has caused at least 140 illnesses and 10 fatalities in New York, Oregon, Washington and Texas in the last 18 months, according to a CDC report Thursday.

New York
In the CDC report, the earliest case of the mutated virus was reported found in an infant girl in New York City, who died last year. The child seemed healthy right after birth, but  became dehydrated and lost appetite. She died 12 days after she was born.

Texas
A 19-year-old Air Force trainee, Paige Renee Villers, died on Aug. 7 due to complications from pneumonia. She was an airman in basic training at Lackland Air Force Base outside San Antonio, Texas where hundreds suffered from “Boot Camp Flu” and where some of those normally healthy military recruits ended up in the intensive care unit.

Oregon
In April, Oregon health officials reported a cluster of cases at a Portland-area hospital.

Washington
In May, Washington health officials reported four hospitalized patients had the Ad14 mutated virus. One, who also had AIDS, died.

Taking extra precaustions to avoid a cold? Follow these simple rules to help prevent catching a cold:

Adenovirus incubation period is two to nine days.

Frequent Hand Washing, especially in Winter can cause hand to become red and dry and can even cause the skin to crack. Use hand lotions to prevent skin aggravation.

Colds and flu alter your physiology, which can make you vulnerable to secondary problems. Understanding what is happening to your body during illness and recovery may help you take the proper action to avoid secondary problems and bring you to a speedier recovery. There are certain points in the course of the common cold that moderate exercise will help ease the discomfort of a cold. Care should be taken, however, not to infect others at health clubs, fitness centers and gyms.

Coughing and Sneezing
Coughing and sneezing increases intradisc pressure. People have been known to rupture intervertebral discs during a sneeze or cough. Take care to absorb shock away from the intervertebral discs by using proper pelvic tilting and kinetic linking of the entire body for force attenuation. For example, absorb the force of a sneeze or cough in your legs with bent knees … slightly collapsing under the force of the sneeze or cough. For most individuals, the pelvis should be in an anterior pelvic tilt (that’s butt out) with the spine neutral (in its normal lordotic curve) and the abdominal muscles lightly stabilized during the cough or sneeze. The force of the sneeze will actually cause you to flatten the curve in your back. Individuals with back conditions may need additional advice from their physician. You may also absorb the sneeze or cough’s force on the upper body by supporting your arms (with slightly bent elbows) on your own thighs or on a table or counter. Avoid twisting your spine during a cough or sneeze (as in to avoid coughing on someone). Turn your feet away first so that your whole body turns away from the person. The back is more vulnerable to injury in a twisted position.

Fever
Although its efficacy and mechanism are not well understood, fever with a cold or flu is a symptom that the body is attempting to kill invading organisms that are causing infection. Note that fever can be associated with many other illnesses, conditions or wounds.  Normally, the body safely regulates the temperature, even in fever state, but temperature that is too high can cause brain damage. External heat (hot weather or hot, stuffy rooms), especially combined with exercise, and dehydration (from vomiting or failure to replenish fluids) can cause hyperthermia, which can bring the body to a dangerous temperature level. Fever should generally be allowed to run its course, but the body should be watched carefully and treated carefully so that hyperthermia does not occur. Usually the length of chills is directly proportional to the elevation of the temperature.. Generally the higher the fever, the sicker a person feels. A person’s size, age and existence of other conditions and the duration of the fever and the actual temperature all factor in determination of  the seriousness of the fever. Don’t delay medical treatment, if you don’t know how to recognize a dangerous fever.

Exercise should be avoided during fever. Sometimes the onset of fever will occur during training or competition.  Fever takes away energy by generating heat instead of useful muscle force (e.g., shivering). Fever is associated with an increase in metabolic rate, so nutrition status needs to be monitored. The tension on the muscles probably causes some of the muscle and tendon aches and pains associated with flu, which negatively affect performance. The compromised musculoskeletal system could also be more susceptible to muscle or tendon strain.

Intense exercise during illness can require the same nutrients and energy that are needed for the functioning of the immune system. If the immune system and the musculoskeletal system are competing for energy and nutrients, it is likely that musculoskeletal performance will be diminished and the musculoskeletal system will be at greater risk of injury (muscle pulls, joint and tendon injuries are more likely) while the necessary immune system actions in the course of illness and healing may be delayed.

Breathing Difficulty
Blocked sinuses can be aggravated or extended with increase pressure during exercise. Respiration can also be restricted by blocked sinuses and narrowing of breathing passages, limiting optimal oxygen levels required during exertion. Exercisers should avoid head down or face down positions, such as push ups, bent over rows, decline bench presses, etc.

Failure to Rest
If the body is overstressed, secondary infections can invade and assault local areas of the body, such as heart valves,  heart muscle or joint tissue. Upper respiratory infections can lead to lower respiratory infections affecting the lungs (e.g., pneumonia).

It is best to rest and avoid exertion during illness.

Recovery
Keep in mind that rest during illness will be associated with a deconditioning effect on the body. The effect of fever may also have consequences where significant protein and glycogen may be lost from muscle tissue. Pay particular attention to the loss of quality of cardiovascular and strength conditioning with noticeable loss of endurance, coordination and strength. You may also notice a change in quality of blood pressure stabilization with some weakness, dizziness or light-headedness during the first few workouts. Warm-up carefully and proceed gradually and carefully.

See also ‘Fever‘ from Medline Plus Encyclopedia

The Centers for Disease Control recommends that the single best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated each fall.

Beyond getting a vaccination, keep in mind and put to practice the following tips from the Centers for Disease Control:

• Avoid close contact.
  Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.

• Stay home when you are sick.
  If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
• Cover your mouth and nose.
  Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
• Clean your hands.
  Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
  Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

Health clubs and fitness centers can be sources of contamination of viruses from the cold and/or flu. Many people are known to exercise even while they are sick. Be extra careful to avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth after making contact with handles, seats or other parts of exercise machines. Also avoid placing your face directly on any part of an exercise machine. If you use a towel, be careful not to rub your eyes, nose or mouth with the towel if it has contacted potentially contaminated areas of exercise devices. If you are not sure a towel is your towel, get a new towel. Always wash your hands when you are finished exercising, especially before you eat. In the winter, when the indoor air is especially dry, use a lotion from your own personal kit to prevent your hands from becoming chaffed.

Avoiding Stress and Cold Temperature
A 2005 study at  the Common Cold Centre, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University discovered that acute chilling of the feet causes the onset of common cold symptoms in around 10% of subjects who are chilled.

See also Infectious Disease in the Reference/Safety Folder of Exercise-Reports.com

SOURCES:
CDC Preventing the Flu
cdc.gov/flu

Acute cooling of the feet and the onset of common cold symptoms. Fam. Pract. 2005 Nov 14; [Epub ahead of print]

Common Cold Centre, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3US, UK.