One Brick Short

Look out fellow babies for Flustar (TM), an industry advertising device that tracks flu outbreaks across the country and tries to sell you medicine to prevent the dreaded bug from knocking you dead, is tracking “moderate levels of flu activity” in our region.

Yes, that’s right. We’re at a moderate chance of getting the bug that makes us sick. Of course, we’re also at risk of getting a virus that seems like the flu and is just as brutal or a cold that is sort of like the flu but not really the flu at all.

“FACTS can help you remember the signs of flu,” Flustar reports, giving us an acronym for Fever spike, Aches, Chills, Tiredness and Sudden onset of symptoms.

If you feel those symptoms, and you haven’t been partying at Crush with the folks on c’Villain.com, then for crying out loud call your doctor and get an appointment. Spend some of that health insurance money you’ve been blowing through your employer, even it does require that you pony up bucks before the insurance kicks in.

Ah, but what do you do if you don’t have insurance?

Short of the Free Clinic or begging for care at UVa Medical Center’s E.R., you can take two aspirin and suffer through the morning.