ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, January 3, 1997 TAG: 9701030087
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RICHARD FOSTER STAFF WRITER
YOU COULD ASK the region's health department chief to explain "the crud" to you, but she's sick at home with it.
Have you got the crud?
You know what we're talking about - that unpleasant lingering flu-like cold (or is that cold-like flu?) that's been hovering over the region for the last month like a giant rubber insect from a B-movie.
By most accounts, it lasts from 3 to 14 days, and is accompanied by coughing, muscle soreness, fever, a sore throat and lots of congestion. But don't take our word for it - ask a medical professional.
Dr. Larry Monahan, senior partner with Jefferson Internal Medicine Associates, said his practice has seen a 25 percent increase in patients with flulike symptoms this winter, including, Monahan said, using highly-technical medical jargon, "coughing up colored junk called crud."
So there you have it. But what it is it? And why, for something so prevalent, is it so hard to pin down how much of it is running amok in the bodies of our fair citizens?
According to the state Department of Health, there were only a total of 42 Type A Influenza cases in the Roanoke area from November to December. But anyone who has had to nurse a sick spouse or listen to a griping co-worker knows that's not right.
The fact is, Type A Influenza is the flu health care professionals thought would be in vogue this cold season, but several new wannabe flu strains have been cropping up like designer imitators on a bargain rack. Many of those aren't getting counted.
Of course, if you want to find out what's going on locally, you should probably call the city health department, right? Well, that would be a good idea, except that Dr. Molly Rutledge, the director of the Roanoke Health Department, is out sick. Maybe she got it from her son. He's had it for almost two weeks, a friend said.
Trying to find someone with the crud isn't even as easy as it sounds. Lines at local pharmacies a couple of weeks ago looked like somebody was giving away Reba McIntire tickets. This week, the crud-infected have apparently decided to stay home. There was no one coughing or sneezing or exhibiting anything vaguely crudlike at Roanoke Revco stores visited Thursday.
But it's out there.
Here's the evidence: Some drug stores have experienced brief shortages of Flumadine, a popular prescription treatment; the City of Roanoke's nursing home had a two-week quarantine to ward off the crud in December; and city schools experienced illness-related absences of as many as 400 to 500 elementary-school age kids in just two days in December.
So now that we know the crud's here, how do we destroy it?
"I wish there was a magic formula you could buy, prescription or over-the-counter, that would make it all better, but unfortunately, it may just have to run its normal course," said Tom Leonard, a pharmacist at the Cave Spring Revco. "I like a little extra Vitamin C during this time of year, myself."
At the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-Op on Grandin Road, some folks are trying to attack the crud with vitamins and herbs. Elizabeth Good, a vitamin and health and beauty aids consultant at the store, recommends echinacea - an herb taken from a flower that resembles a daisy - zinc lozenges, or garlic. A bath in epsom salts is also a good way to overcome aching muscles and rid the body of toxins, she said.
But no matter what you do, Monahan warns, the crud can pop back up when you least expect it - just like a bad movie monster.
"For five days or even 10 days after the onset of symptoms, people can be spreading the virus by coughing or sneezing the particles into the air. If you want to keep away from it, you could try intentionally not to be around huge crowds, or coughing or sneezing people."
If you already have it, he said, "the best thing for you to do would be to stay home, stay in touch with your doctor, drink plenty of fluids, take Tylenol for aches and pains as opposed to aspirin, and if you and your doctor agree, then take some prescription medicines to combat the infection."
And if none of those cures works? Maybe you just have to wait and get some bed rest to conquer the crud.
There are worse solutions. After all, think what it took to defeat Godzilla.
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS/Staff. 1. Cave Spring Revcoby CNBpharmacist Tom Leonard is one of those trying to stay ahead of this
year's bout with the flu. color. 2. Elizabeth Good, an employee of
the Roanoke Co-op on Grandin Road describes some of the natural
products available for colds and flus.