question regarding the flu

guttermouth

New Member
Messages
4
as we know the flu has been around for centuries. as we also know once you have the most current strain of flu you are immune to all of the previous versions. keeping that in mind, if you were to go back in time, would you be a carrier of the most deadly plague that humans haven't experienced yet and kill just about everyone? also if you were to go forward in time, wouldnt you contract a strain of the flu that you couldnt possibly be immune to and die within a week?
 

Snow

Member
Messages
469
Now that is some very astute critical thinking. Unfortunately, I am not an expert in the transmission of disease, so I have no idea!! It is a fascinating question - maybe one of our more educated members will have an opinion.
 

Einstein

Temporal Engineer
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5,363
The flu is just like a bad cold to the majority of the population. With a healthy immune system, any flu strain is easily fought off. And once immune to a strain, you do not become a carrier. That virus strain can no longer survive in an immune person.
 

Snow

Member
Messages
469
The flu is just like a bad cold to the majority of the population. With a healthy immune system, any flu strain is easily fought off. And once immune to a strain, you do not become a carrier. That virus strain can no longer survive in an immune person.
So, are you saying that unless we are sick at the time we time travel, we wouldn't carry flu to the past and that if we are healthy when traveling to the future we would have the same natural ability to survive a flu as the people who are there at the time?
 

Einstein

Temporal Engineer
Messages
5,363
The flu is just like a bad cold to the majority of the population. With a healthy immune system, any flu strain is easily fought off. And once immune to a strain, you do not become a carrier. That virus strain can no longer survive in an immune person.
So, are you saying that unless we are sick at the time we time travel, we wouldn't carry flu to the past and that if we are healthy when traveling to the future we would have the same natural ability to survive a flu as the people who are there at the time?

Yes.
 

guttermouth

New Member
Messages
4
you dont have to be sick to be a carrier. 60-90% of native americans died from smallpox since they had no immunity. the new settlers had a resistance
 

Einstein

Temporal Engineer
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5,363
you dont have to be sick to be a carrier. 60-90% of native americans died from smallpox since they had no immunity. the new settlers had a resistance

You seem to be unfamiliar with the way the bodies immune system works. An immune person cannot carry a virus that it has successfully become immune to. Quite possibly you have a fake belief. That seems to be the rage these days.
 

Snow

Member
Messages
469
Still, the point about smallpox was well made even though it is not a flu virus. We no longer even vaccinate for it, right? I'm also reminded of the chicken pox and it's relation to shingles. Also, I am not sure it would be prudent to assume the something as virulent as the 1918 epidemic (which happened in TWO waves) would be harmless if reintroduced to the current population.
 

PaulaJedi

Survivor
Zenith
Messages
8,706
as we know the flu has been around for centuries. as we also know once you have the most current strain of flu you are immune to all of the previous versions. keeping that in mind, if you were to go back in time, would you be a carrier of the most deadly plague that humans haven't experienced yet and kill just about everyone? also if you were to go forward in time, wouldnt you contract a strain of the flu that you couldnt possibly be immune to and die within a week?

First, don't time travel sick. If you are well, you have nothing to worry about. As far as catching a past flu, well, it is very possible for you to if you 1) have not had consistent flu shots or 2) You didn't catch that form of the flu and therefore have no immunity. Same with the cold virus. There are many strains. I'd imagine it is no different than living in your own timeline. Wash your hands. Stay away from coughing people. hehe

We could spread bacteria, but we already do that in our own timeline.

It would be irresponsible to time travel while sick.
 

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