It started after a Christmas party. Natalie Rowe, a 42-year-old web designer living in the United Kingdom, noticed she felt a little bit like she was losing her voice. She assumed it was because she was talking a little louder to people at the party, but then came the throat soreness. A couple of days later, she started to feel body aches and a bit “shaky.” She went to bed and nearly didn’t leave it for three full days. She had a high fever, fatigue and brain fog. After she was able to start eating again, it still took a full two weeks to recover as she continued to feel extremely tired, suffer from brain fog, and experience bad headaches.
For many people across the Northern Hemisphere, like Rowe, this holiday season was interrupted by an unwanted visitor: influenza.
