Winter is almost over and spring is about to kick in. Just to think what this winter cost the world's economy: all these snow blizzards, power cuts, snow removal, roads cleaning, etc. However, there is also a bright side of winter in this economic cost and benefit analysis: consider the winter sports, ski resorts, ice skating rinks, Christmas markets (that often last far past Christmas and straight into Easter) and mulled wine vendors, just to name those few who benefit from a properly cold winter.
Anyways,
this post is not about the cost and benefit analysis of winters (although we
might come up with some calculations about that in the nearest future). This
post is about the flu and infectious diseases, as well as about ways how to
avoid the seasonal flu and to avoid catching it.
We
already wrote about infectious diseases in one of our previous post on the 11th of November 2011 (check this one if you want to know more about
the role of infectious diseases in human population dynamics, the story of the
most horrifying infectious disease of all times – the “The Great Spanish Flu
epidemic” that started in 1918 and killed between 20 and 100 million people in
four years). This time, we want to share with you a poster provided courtesy of Allison Morris from a team of designers (Education
Database Online) who build graphics for Internet resource sites with a primary
goal to be able to make a connection between visualization and learning.
The poster and the Education Database Online blog can be found here.
The poster and the Education Database Online blog can be found here.
Think of the costs you and your loved ones can incur to the social and the health system due to the flu you might be nursing or suffering from! Treatment and fighting the epidemic cost something, so do the leave of absence and empty working places to your employer. However, it is always better to stay at home if you get the first symptoms of the flu, rather than go to work, infect your colleagues, and end up in bed in a couple of days anyways (ask yourself whether one extra paid day of work is worth it).
And please do remember that the flu season is not over yet - spring is one of the most treacherous seasons of the year with the outside temperatures playing a roller coaster, so the flu can always strike back (after all, the Great Spanish flu also started in spring of 1918 as a normal seasonal flu).
Be careful, watch out, learn how to prevent the flu and to minimize your risks and economic losses, and do your best to stay flu-free this year!
And please do remember that the flu season is not over yet - spring is one of the most treacherous seasons of the year with the outside temperatures playing a roller coaster, so the flu can always strike back (after all, the Great Spanish flu also started in spring of 1918 as a normal seasonal flu).
Be careful, watch out, learn how to prevent the flu and to minimize your risks and economic losses, and do your best to stay flu-free this year!
WS and EL
