I don't see it as a flu, and I don't think anyone should devalue it. It killed my friend, and he was an Ironman competitor. 5'11" 175lbs, super fit cyclist and swimmer, occasional runner. Took him down for 6 weeks, and 3 weeks into recovery, he had a stroke and died. His wife had it during the same time, and she's 110lbs. 6 weeks of hell for her, and though she's "recovered", she's still not really back to normal. Not to mention, going through the trauma of her husband dying.