FIRST PERSON | DALLAS -- According to most recent reports from the CDC, influenza cases have spiked nationally over the past few weeks. My family resides in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and we have already heard of several flu-related deaths, the most recent being a 6-year-old Dallas girl who died after being sent home from the hospital earlier this week. A few weeks earlier, an otherwise healthy 17-year-old Flower Mound boy died after spending several days in a hospital with the flu.
In a local news report, health officials are claiming that not only have flu cases doubled since last flu season, but the worst has yet to come. Many are scrambling to get vaccinations that are now in short supply, in light of recent deaths.
As for my family, we have managed to avoid the influenza virus over the past few years. Although some may think it to be irresponsible, none of us have ever received, nor plan on getting the flu vaccination. Instead, we constantly take a number of precautions to ensure our health during flu seasons.
We believe that keeping our overall health in line is one of the best defenses against any virus. Our family tends to eat fruit and vegetable enriched meals on a daily basis, as well as keeping our bodies active with workouts and other outdoor activities.
As another preventative measure, not only do we boost our vitamin intake and are firm believers in the healing powers of chicken noodle soup, but our family has also been using colloidal silver for several years. Whenever any of else feels a little run down, a small dose of colloidal silver has always done the trick.
Of course, public exposure can always pose a risk, so we tend to eat-out less and definitely take advantage of sanitizers provided at the entrances of local grocery stores. It's sometimes difficult to keep track of how clean my teenager's hands are (eh..,) so I'm constantly harping on him to wash his hands…with soap, please!
Hopefully, staying on top of things like this can help us continue the trend of being flu-free. Although tragic and unexplainable fatalities can occur with even the healthiest people, perhaps more lives could be saved with more aggressive, preventative measures.
