Tini was waiting at the bus stop one day when she noticed that the man next to her had a terrible cold. Suddenly— 

And through Tini’s nostrils, some very tiny creatures called viruses, made their way into her body from his. Once inside, the viruses went to work. Some settled in her muscles and made them ache. Some settled in her throat and made it sore. Some others worked on giving her a headache. Tini soon noticed that something was wrong with her body. She had come down with a case of influenza, or the flu. 

Tini’s body didn’t take kindly to the virus invasion. Her immune system swung into action and sent a type of white blood cells, known as phagocytes (pronounced fag-uh-sites), to hunt and kill the viruses.  

A fight ensued, but the viruses prevailed. 

Tini’s body decided to become even more aggressive. The viruses were multiplying rapidly and had to be stopped. So, Tini’s brain took a drastic measure. 

The hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls temperature, hunger and thirst, sent out a command to raise Tini’s body temperature to above normal. In other words, her body developed a fever. And while the fever made Tini feel weak and miserable, it was doing an important job inside. The hot environment made it uncomfortable for the flu viruses to thrive. 

Meanwhile, Tini’s mother called a doctor, who gave some helpful advice. 

With her body fighting back and her doctor’s advice, Tini soon started healing and feeling better. But she still felt a bit weak for a few days. However, with a good, healthy diet, Tini looked forward to regaining her old strength and being back on her feet. 

Like Tini, if you too catch the flu, don’t worry. Rest, eat well, and let your body work its magic. Do see a doctor if your fever persists or worsens, and follow their instructions carefully. After all, we can’t let the pesky viruses win!