King of the Viruses: What Flu Does to the Body

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King of the Viruses: What Flu Does to the Body
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In this video, Jonathan from the Institute of Human Anatomy explores the influenza virus, as discusses why it is often considered the "King of the Viruses." He discusses the four main types—A, B, C, and D—and explains how the virus spreads, infects humans, and mutates. Jonathan covers flu symptoms, potential complications like pneumonia, and how treatments and vaccines work. He also addresses the effectiveness of the flu vaccine and things to consider when making the decision about getting vaciinated.
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0:00 - 0:40 Intro
1:41 - 2:04 Defining the Influenza Virus
2:05 - 2:54 The Four Main Types of Influenza (A, B, C, D)
2:55 - 3:51 How Influenza Spreads and Infects Humans
3:52 - 4:23 H-Subtypes and N-Subtypes: How They Change the Virus
4:24 - 7:13 How Influenza Gets Inside Your Cells
7:14 - 8:52 How Influenza Mutates So Quickly
8:53 - 10:46 Antigenic Shift: Mixing of Viral RNA Between Humans and Animals
10:47 - 11:55 Influenza Symptoms
11:56 - 12:16 Gastrointestinal Symptoms: Can They Be Related to Flu?
12:17 - 12:37 Serious Flu Complications (Pneumonia)
12:38 - 13:03 Flu Treatment Options
13:04 - 13:53 How Flu Medication Works
13:54 - 14:21 How to Make Flu Medication Most Effective
14:22 - 15:00 Preventative Measures to Minimize Flu Risk
15:01 - 16:10 Flu Vaccine Effectiveness: Should You Get It?
16:11 - 16:38 Final Thoughts
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Common Questions:

What are the four main types of influenza?
How does the flu spread in humans?
What are H-subtypes and N-subtypes in the influenza virus?
How does the influenza virus mutate so fast?
What is antigenic shift, and how does it affect humans and animals?
Can gastrointestinal symptoms be related to the flu?
What are the complications of influenza, like pneumonia?
How does flu medication work?
Should I get the flu vaccine?
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#influenzavirus #FluExplained #immunesystem #fluprevention

[StrongBodymindandspirit]

I got the flu a 2 months ago… it was no joke. Bed ridden for a week with temperature of 104 and chills no matter what I did. Extreme fatigue ontop of everything. Humbled me real quick

[shanosullivan]

Shoutout to those of us watching this with the flu right now 🙃🤧🤒

[kristinaviolette]

This information would have been enormously valuable during the pandemic. There was so much misinformation going around. I love the way you teach. Simple, logical and completely understandable. Thank you.

[TheMASDrummer]

I had influenza A this year, and I'm a 26 year old athlete. I felt like I was going to die

[Morbazan]

I still find it more amazing how our own bodies have the capacity to create the antibodies to deal with things

[nutshell]

Yo, i got the flu rn, so watching this, i hope the viruses inside me would understand that even what everything they do to me, i still want to understand them♥️

[Hongaars]

I started 2025 w swine flu. I was in bed for 6 days. The worst were the rigors and the night sweats. The residual fatigue and low energy levels continue to linger. Thank you for this upload. Even as a medical practitioner myself, it is always good to obtain updates

[beckyfrasier]

I love the way you broke everything down so that we could understand exactly how it literally attacks….. THANK YOU!!

[countryroadstakemehome]

So glad my neighbour came and talked to me the other day and spread that flu virus my way, what a champion!

[mewforever]

Absolutely fascinating!
I wanted to become a virologist and was amazed how a virus is alive but at the same time, not alive.
Influenza is the virus that captivated me and frightened me the most. To quote the book from John M. Barry, regarding the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, " Flu killed more people in 24 weeks than AIDS has killed in 24 years, more than The Black Death killed in a century." this is some serious stuff but it's fascinating !

[gitstanfield]

This makes me want to become a virologist. Viruses are extremely sophisticated. Not in a deliberate sense, but the machinery of how they operate. So interesting.

[travelchick]

I had the flu and added a bronchitis and a sinusitis on top. I was extremely sick for 3 weeks and not being able to work. And I had a bad cough for over 6 weeks. 2 month later I’m still not feeling healthy. This is no joke and can easily turn bad.

[tammydownes]

I've been sick for a week. It started as allergies then went straight to head cold. It really does suck to get sick.

[as-rihf]

“Reasonably reduce contact with others so that you can reduce the spread of the virus to other human beings” — staying home if you can but a lot of us can’t (mostly because of our bosses), and wearing a well-fitted K/N95 respirator in public spaces like the grocery store and doctor’s office has really helped us reduce the spread and avoid the flu these past few years.

[MoniqueGrace]

Not sure if you’ve done a video on food poisoning/stomach bug and the effects on that but would love to see it!

[bakedatbeen]

There are so many videos on the influenza virus but this is just the one i wanted

[lbarocio]

I crack up that he does his presentation in front of a few bodies in the room.

[unyxpectedtrinkets]

I just got back home from the hospital. Diagnosed with Type A and I feel awful. It hit me so fast and hard (occasional cough started at 1pm, and full blown fever by midnight). I haven’t been this ill since Covid.

[eastfrisian_]

I had swine flu in 2015 with 27, hardly a cold, but a fever of over 40c (104f) for five days, unbelievable aches and pains in my limbs and exhaustion. Even going to the bathroom was nearly impossible. That was also the first time I had to call an on-call doctor at the weekend because even a daily dose of ibuprofen didn't do the trick, I got an injection in my pelvis (I think metamizole, still widely used in Germany, banned in many countries nowadays) and I was knocked out for 12 hours, but the fever went away and for another week and a half I always had a slight fever spike in the afternoon and needed three weeks to finally recover. It was a nightmare. Even Covid was more harmless for me. So if I hear that someone around me has the flu, I leave just for fear of experiencing that crap again.

[nathaliep]

Great video! I freaking love science and your videos. I’m always floored about the human body. (Huge thanks to those who chose to donate their body/parts for science.)