'It's just a flu'? Think again – that flu can kill you

The influenza virus hijacks human cells in the nose and throat to make copies of itself.

You can certainly feel like death warmed over when you get the flu, which often lasts for a dreadfully feverish, snotty and cough-wracked week.

But in some rare cases, the flu can actually be fatal. Last year, influenza killed about 80,000 people, including 180 children, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).