The common cold, allergies, and strep throat are aggravating illnesses, but none of them can top the stomach flu. Influenza, or commonly call the flu, is caused by RNA viruses which attack the immune system in mammals.

Symptoms of the flu can be very painful and uncomfortable. Some include the chills, fever, weakness and vomiting.

“I missed a whole week of school,” junior Jason Lindsay said. “I had a really bad fever, of like 102 degrees, and a headache and a sore throat and I didn’t get out of bed for a couple days.”

Along with strep throat, the flu hit North hard this year. Attendance was very low this flu season and many students and teachers were out for days on end. Usually school attendance percent is in the high 90s, but these past few weeks have dropped dramatically.

“Last week we were down,” attendance worker Marlene Wilcoxen said. “We got down to 90 percent attendance.”

There are a few different types of the flu. Some are less severe than others which only cause a stuffy nose or a small fever. The other type, the stomach flu, is the one including the symptoms that keep victims in bed for days.

“When it hits hard, you’re out three to five days, not just one day,” attendance worker Patti Paul said.

The debate about flu shots is still being fought out and changing people’s views on the vaccination. Some researchers think it does more harm then good, giving people a small dose of the virus instead of protecting you from it. These views have caused many to turn down the shot. Though it does help some, it isn’t always effective.

“I got it just this year for some reason,” junior Sammie Mulherin said. “I had it on and off. I just kept getting sick again.”

Some students didn’t feel the need to get a vaccination.

“I didn’t get the flu shot this year,” Lindsay said. “I don’t think it would really help that much.”

Effects of the flu can turn very ugly and can result in more severe diseases such as pneumonia, although it is better then some viruses.

“Its better than having mono,” Lindsay said jokingly.