[Jamestown1630]

I had a very strange experience with some kind of virus almost three years ago - different from every ‘flu I’ve ever had. My boss had flown to and back from Mexico, came to work with a bug, and I came down with it.

I had fever that would go on and off for a week - had never experienced that before. So weak I couldn’t get out of bed. Usually when I have something like this, it’s over in two or three days, and I can function through it. I was completely laid-out over that bug.

Since then, I’ve wondered how many weird things are probably always circulating among us, but just aren’t as quickly infectious as this particular one is.

[Born to Conserve]

“I had fever that would go on and off for a week...”

Sounds like malaria.

[lepton]

Since then, I’ve wondered how many weird things are probably always circulating among us, but just aren’t as quickly infectious as this particular one is.

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There are over 200 types of rhinoviruses that cause roughly 80% the common colds. Then you have most of the rest caused by coronaviruses, with some other viruses causing the remainder.

The flu constantly reconfigures itself by exchanging genes with each other of someone is infected with more than one variety at once, and occasionally some other pieces of genetic material, so you can’t become immune to all forms by infection.