I've had this cold/upper respiratory problem for the past 2 weeks! I live in Houston and my boyfriend started coming down with it earlier this week. It started out with an itchy throat which led to to an uncontrollable cough. Luckily the coughing has subsided a little bit for me but I keep coughing up this icky stuff. I would like to add that I do not smoke cigarettes and do not ever recall having this type of cold in the middle of summer!

I've been sick for over a week. Took antibiotic, steroid & decongestant shots on 1st day and Levaquin antibiotic for next 5 days. (Doctor said it was likely walking pneumonia, but didn't test me). I'm still as sick today as I was last Friday! I'm in North Alabama. There are also at least 3 other coworkers who are sick. My belief is that we have likely got each other sick rather than something caused by the oil spill.

On a side note, I have been looking for signs of oil spill contamination.

I have white spots & holes on the vegetables in my garden at home (such as the NC gardener - could be a fungus?)

My grass has turned spotty brown in the course of one week (but I don't water it regularly & it's been really hot)...

I caught some rain water last night to see if it had any visible color or odor. I noticed neither.

So for now, I'm remaining optimistic that the oil spill effects have not reached us. I do have my eyes open and I do appreciate people that are sharing their stories. If we keep each other informed, who needs the MSM!

UPDATE!!!!!
Apparently my immune system isn't as invincible as I thought it was...
still have strong flu like symptoms. No fever but respiratory problems and body aches like hell. I have had it for 10 days now, I thought I was getting better but I am not. Now my boyfriend has it.

Also, the garden is plagued by powdery mildew. Apparently this is brought on by hot and humid weather. I am of the personal belief that it is a gosh-darn conspiracy!!! Last year all the tomatoes were infected with blight, unfortunately blight will stay in the soil from year to year and reinfect the plants next season. Powdery mildew, which everything seems to be infected with this year spreads like mad, unless taken care of. I think someone is infecting these plants, and our soil, on purpose. I am kind of p-o-ed about it because it is the only real joy I get out of these horrid NY summers. I have seen lots of vids on you tube and on alternate news websites where people are showing ill looking plants, most of the damage looks like powdery mildew. For anyone out there who has it remove the sick growth and spray with 90% water and 10% milk.
We will have our revenge on monsanto!!!!!

Back to the sickness. I hate the flu, rarely get it, don't even know if I have it because I do not do doctors (unless bleeding profusely from a dismembered something or other) But it sucks, the air outside is nasty and tightens my chest on the first breath. Who in the hell gets the flu in July? _javascript:icon('')

I honestly think y'all are looking to much into this. I live pretty much 50 miles from the coast in Louisiana and less than 100 miles from the spill, I have not been healthier. The South did have a rainy and cool start to the summer and y'all mighta got a cold then.

I may be wrong because Alex did stir up the gulf and brought in all that rain. But I am not sick at all.

Please realize that during the 5-7 years leading up to a pandemic, and during the 2-3 years of a serious pandemic, that other viruses often become worse as well. Some become odder as wel is what I'm seeing. The symptoms are a bit different - like the viruses are trying on new bits of code to see what happens.

We only had one year of the H1N1 pandemic. I've seen little tracking it this summer in the Southern Hemisphere or in Incubator countries like Indonesia, China or Eygpt.

If it follows the same pattern as Spanish flu, that was just the first season. The second season was the one that made history - and why isn't called the 1917 flu.

I'm sure vaccination and previous infection will bring down observable numbers in Western countries this fall.

It is worth keeping in mind that other similar viruses such as corona viruses, and pneumonias ALSO get worse and more prevalent during that period of time.

Western New York here and pretty much just getting over a cold right now. I get one every summer though. Lake Ontario plays havoc with my sinuses so although a little ill, nothing unusual from any other year yet.