This is Sponsored post on behalf of the Seattle Flu Study and all thoughts are my own.
I spent the first winter of my kids’ lives in a giant bubble of hand sanitizer. With two preemie babies who had spent way too long in the hospital, there was no way I was going back. I could spot someone sniffling anywhere in Seattle long before they came within the radar of an arm’s length. And although I’ve gotten a lot better with being able to live with germs over the years I’m still hyper aware of getting sick and I try to prevent it any way I can. So of course I was intrigued when the Seattle Flu study made its way into my email.
What is this study all about?
Have you ever wondered about when you get sick and if it’s actually the flu. I’ve been really sick before, but I don’t think I’ve ever had the flu. And the flu is terrifying. It’s the kind of illness that can actually kill people and it seems like it just shows up out of nowhere. This year already the flu seems to be coming early and I heard on the news recently that over a million people have already had the flu. Thankfully scientists and researchers are trying to figure out more about this illness and the Seattle Flu Study is looking to see how the city of Seattle can learn to detect, monitor and control the flu. This study is a collaboration between Brotman Baty Institute, UW Medicine, Fred Hutch and Seattle Children’s and it’s offering Seattle households with 3 or more people a way to combat the flu directly from home.
How does the Flu Study work?
The Seattle Flu Study is looking for Seattle households with three or more people to help with the study. First you sign up with a basic survey online. Once you do the survey, you get a scheduled phone call meeting. During the meeting someone will explain the Seattle Flu Study to you and make sure everyone in your household who is participating gives their consent to participate. The phone call and survey take no longer than about 15 minutes total. Then you receive a kit in the mail that you will use to swab your nose to determine your baseline health. (This info stays private and it’s just for the study data) If you get sick at all during the study months, you have nose swabs that you can test yourself to find out if you have the flu. You find out if you have the flu quicker than if you drive to your doctor and get tested there. This idea seems like the coolest thing to me. If you actually end up with the flu they will send you anti-viral treatment within around 6 hours. And you get to do this all at home.
Do I have to have a flu shot to take part?
No. I got my flu shot as soon as I could get one (and if it were my choice I would try to flu shot evangelize you) but you do not need a flu shot for the Seattle Flu Study
How will the Seattle Flu Study help me?
On the most basic of levels, maybe you might get a gift card or a token of appreciation for your help for participating in the Seattle Flu Study. Maybe you might find out that you actually have the flu and you might get an anti-viral to help you recover. Maybe by participating in this study you’ll help determine flu patterns and ultimately save a ton of people’s lives in the process. And by signing up you’re not really going to have to do much extra, except just go about your daily business and report if you get sick. I’m actually looking forward to the idea that I can swab my nose to figure out how sick I am without having to leave my house.
Thousands of Seattleites took part in this study last year, and hopefully we can increase the numbers this year to better help public health organizations fight the flu like champions. If you have more questions, check out the information and frequently asked questions on the Seattle Flu Study website or even send them an email at hello@seattleflu.org. Have you ever had the flu? And if you are not in the Seattle area, is the flu something you are concerned about in your city too?
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)