> remember reading awhile back about a study that showed people with the flu are...

sp332 · on Sept 26, 2023

To clarify, the the claim is that individuals are more sociable when they are infected with the flu virus.

These results show that there is an immediate active behavioral response to infection before the expected onset of symptoms or sickness behavior.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20816312/

gruez · on Sept 26, 2023

I did a quick skim and the main problems with the study are:

1. no placebo, so it's unclear whether it was actually due to the flu virus or some unrelated factor. The study admits this might be an issue, but casually dismisses it with "We looked for this, and found no such effects."

2. the "flu virus" in question is actually a vaccine. Needless to say there's a big difference between getting a flu shot and an actual flu.

dylan604 · on Sept 26, 2023

does seem weird as the flu usually makes me sore and not want to move at all.

tmccrary55 · on Sept 26, 2023

You're probably still contagious for a while after the symptoms weaken.

But thinking about it, you're also probably in a good mood at the same time. So yeah, of course you're going to be more sociable.

jacobn · on Sept 26, 2023

You're probably contagious before symptom onset.

someuser2345 · on Sept 26, 2023

I assume the poster meant that the infected are more social before they start having symptoms