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xxZeromancerlovexx
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25 Mar 2017, 1:54 pm

My mom has the flu and I'm very worried that she's going to die from it. My mom is my best friend and even though I'm almost 24 I am very dependent on her. I can't drive nor do I know how to handle my finances or anything that adults do.

What is the likelihood of dying from the flu? If she dies I'm screwed because I don't know how to do anything that makes me independent.


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Anne_Fetamine
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25 Mar 2017, 3:06 pm

The likelihood of a young, healthy person dying from the flu is very low. It's usually just the elderly and babies that die from it. Even then, it's not a majority of older people and kids who succumb--generally just the weakest and sickest. I'd imagine people with emphysema and other heart or lung conditions would be at an increased risk of complications too.

The flu is a nasty virus that can last 2+ weeks but the vast majority of sufferers recover just fine.



Eurythmic
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26 Mar 2017, 4:16 am

What Anne said, the probability is very low. A full blown bout of the 'flu can knock you for a week or more with sore achy muscles and joints. She should drink adequate water and rest. Antibiotics are not effective for viruses like the 'flu, however it can run you down making you more susceptible to opportunistic bacterial infections. If she has any difficulties that concern you like difficulty breathing call an ambulance, but otherwise she just needs to ride it out and should be just fine.



Deathbox
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25 Apr 2017, 11:41 am

It's rarer than you'd think. The estimate of 36,000 flu deaths per year is hugely exaggerated, considering most of those people had pre-existing conditions (note - those who are already sick tend to get killed by the flu, even though the cause of death might be terminal cancer or something really awful).

I also wouldn't doubt that those 'sudden cardiac arrest' flu cases aren't really related to the flu either, but rather undiscovered heart defects. Healthy people don't just keel over from the flu.