One of the bad things about the flu, including the H1N1 version, is it is a virus. That means that it does not respond to antibiotics, which only work on bacterial infections. A dose of amoxicillin or other common antibiotics may fend off secondary bacterial infections but will do nothing about the flu itself. So don’t go to the doctor and ask for antibiotics, for they won’t help. If you’re in a country that let you buy antibiotics over the counter, save them for something it might be helpful for. There are antiviral drugs, but their side effects tend to be higher than those in antibiotics and are usual reserved for very bad infections; if someone is sick enough to be in the hospital, antivirals like Tamiflu will be prescribed, but otherwise healthy adults won’t generally be prescribed antivirals. However, children under the age of two, the elderly and folks ...

Not everything that makes you feel crappy is the flu. Now that we’re in the cold-weather months and school is back in session, we are prone to getting colds as well as the flu. The flu is more than just a bad cold, since they are different critters; colds are separate critters called rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. Also, there are different symptoms for colds and flues. Fever- You normally don’t get a fever with a cold, while a 100-degree-plus temperature is common with a flu bug. So, if you get out your trusty thermometer and it doesn’t crack triple-digits, you probably have a cold. Aches and Pains- The flu is marked by headaches and other bad aches around the body; colds tend not to have as many aches. Chills-Chills are more of a symptom of the flu. Phlegm Fatale- A cold will produce a lot of mucus, producing chest congestion and stuffed-up sinuses; ...