Post by Esme the Cat on Jan 19, 2017 5:30:16 GMT -5
Paris is beautiful. It is a city loved the world over for it's architecture, beautiful scenery, light-filled boulevards and of course, for it's romance.
But f*** that.
To me, it's also a hellish nightmare of two concurring epidemics.
I've recently moved to Paris from the UK, after fleeing nearly two decades of abuse from my father. I ran away with my mum, and I am now staying in her new apartment until my own apartment is ready (hopefully before the end of today! ). Anyway, because I left so damned quickly, and it was so traumatic having to leave so much behind and go in secret and not tell anybody, I didn't research any illness statistics or anything like that until it was too late - by the time I researched them, I had already arrived. And BOY, am I an asshole. Welcome to regret city. These are the kinds of things I am thinking right now.
(By the way, I might be talking in a kind of lighthearted fashion, because it's the only way I can process information in my brain - I have Asperger's syndrome - but believe me, I am deadly serious about what I'm saying, and I tell you with heartfelt sincerity that I am not feeling lighthearted at all.)
Basically, there is currently an epidemic of type-A/H3N2 influenza in Paris at the moment. It is effecting most of France, but according to reports (linked below) the Ile-de-France region (which includes Paris) is one of the most inundated areas. This terrifies the living s*** out of me. Especially as my mum has a cold right now...and of course I'm worrying that it might be flu. And of course I'm worrying that I might get it.
When I heard about the flu epidemic, I naturally freaked out and started to read up on it (just to get more information, obviously, not to, like, scare myself, or anything...blah, blah, blah). And in doing so, I read about France's yearly norovirus epidemics. Not just outbreaks - read: EPIDEMICS.
Fucking epidemics of the thing which I have been successfully avoiding for the past billion years.
I have excellent hygiene. I wash, spray, bleach and scrub myself and my environment to perfection. I wear gloves when I go out. I wear gloves when I cook and prepare food. I wash my hands like crazy. But is that enough to stop me from getting the norovirus? Or the goddamn flu? I had the flu shot this year, back in October, and that is *supposed* to cover A/H3N2. But are they really effective? You must know the controversy. I still feel scared as f***.
To be honest, I feel as if I've just stepped out of one hell and into another. Even though I'm living in the city I've dreamed about since I was a child, I am about to move into my own (albeit mouse-hole-sized) apartment, and I am finally free from my dad's abuse, I feel so insecure and afraid and defenceless. And after all I've been through, I simply do not believe I could cope with getting any kind of V*. Even without all the added baggage, I don't think I could cope. That's why I've avoided getting it for so many years - I actually haven't had V* since I was a child. And now I'm starting to wish I'd never left the UK.
I would appreciate it so much if you guys read the articles below. They're very short and you can skim-read them and still get the picture. And then I would really be grateful if you could help me.
The questions I require answers to are as follows:
Can I still avoid both flu and norovirus, even in the depths of epidemics?
Is it possible to NEVER get flu or norovirus?
Does flu actually cause V*?
Am I actually at risk of flu or NV, being that my hygiene is so good?
Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to read this, and please know that I am more grateful than I can say to those of you who post replies.
Flu EPIDEMIC article (Less important that norovirus, but still scary AS F***)
Norovirus Article (known as 'gastro' in France). This article is from last year but mentions that the epidemics occur yearly, so is even more terrifying than I imagined.
But f*** that.
To me, it's also a hellish nightmare of two concurring epidemics.
I've recently moved to Paris from the UK, after fleeing nearly two decades of abuse from my father. I ran away with my mum, and I am now staying in her new apartment until my own apartment is ready (hopefully before the end of today! ). Anyway, because I left so damned quickly, and it was so traumatic having to leave so much behind and go in secret and not tell anybody, I didn't research any illness statistics or anything like that until it was too late - by the time I researched them, I had already arrived. And BOY, am I an asshole. Welcome to regret city. These are the kinds of things I am thinking right now.
(By the way, I might be talking in a kind of lighthearted fashion, because it's the only way I can process information in my brain - I have Asperger's syndrome - but believe me, I am deadly serious about what I'm saying, and I tell you with heartfelt sincerity that I am not feeling lighthearted at all.)
Basically, there is currently an epidemic of type-A/H3N2 influenza in Paris at the moment. It is effecting most of France, but according to reports (linked below) the Ile-de-France region (which includes Paris) is one of the most inundated areas. This terrifies the living s*** out of me. Especially as my mum has a cold right now...and of course I'm worrying that it might be flu. And of course I'm worrying that I might get it.
When I heard about the flu epidemic, I naturally freaked out and started to read up on it (just to get more information, obviously, not to, like, scare myself, or anything...blah, blah, blah). And in doing so, I read about France's yearly norovirus epidemics. Not just outbreaks - read: EPIDEMICS.
Fucking epidemics of the thing which I have been successfully avoiding for the past billion years.
I have excellent hygiene. I wash, spray, bleach and scrub myself and my environment to perfection. I wear gloves when I go out. I wear gloves when I cook and prepare food. I wash my hands like crazy. But is that enough to stop me from getting the norovirus? Or the goddamn flu? I had the flu shot this year, back in October, and that is *supposed* to cover A/H3N2. But are they really effective? You must know the controversy. I still feel scared as f***.
To be honest, I feel as if I've just stepped out of one hell and into another. Even though I'm living in the city I've dreamed about since I was a child, I am about to move into my own (albeit mouse-hole-sized) apartment, and I am finally free from my dad's abuse, I feel so insecure and afraid and defenceless. And after all I've been through, I simply do not believe I could cope with getting any kind of V*. Even without all the added baggage, I don't think I could cope. That's why I've avoided getting it for so many years - I actually haven't had V* since I was a child. And now I'm starting to wish I'd never left the UK.
I would appreciate it so much if you guys read the articles below. They're very short and you can skim-read them and still get the picture. And then I would really be grateful if you could help me.
The questions I require answers to are as follows:
Can I still avoid both flu and norovirus, even in the depths of epidemics?
Is it possible to NEVER get flu or norovirus?
Does flu actually cause V*?
Am I actually at risk of flu or NV, being that my hygiene is so good?
Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to read this, and please know that I am more grateful than I can say to those of you who post replies.
Flu EPIDEMIC article (Less important that norovirus, but still scary AS F***)
Norovirus Article (known as 'gastro' in France). This article is from last year but mentions that the epidemics occur yearly, so is even more terrifying than I imagined.