I am sure you are looking at it going WTF? But I decided rather than delete what I wrote, to strike-through the non-relevant info, as to show that we were indeed, thankfully, wrong about the whole thing. It does not change the fact that everyone should in fact get vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B (especially if you are a man who has sex with men), because it is preventable. Which means, that even if you ate somewhere that potentially did have contamination (which Joe’s DOES NOT), you would be fine, because you would have antibodies to protect you. See how important these vaccinations are? They prevent you from sounding the alarm (albeit, somewhat prematurely, and ultimately incorrectly), and most importantly, from getting sick, because no one likes being sick, folks.
So, what we have learned from this:
1) Joe’s on Juniper is a great place to eat. No problems there. Check it out.
2) The incubation period for Hepatitis A and B are very similar, as are their symptoms.
3) My friend was infected with one at the same time he ate something that didn’t agree with him, which led him to believe that it was from the food, when it clearly wasn’t. This highlights the importance of SEEKING MEDICAL ATTENTION when you feel ill. You may think you have one thing, when you have something else entirely.
4) Vaccination for Hepatitis A and B are very important, because they are preventable viruses in most people. Get your vaccines now.
5) Apparently (much to my, and definitely my friend’s, surprise) some people are active carriers of Hepatitis B, and can pass it on to their sexual partners, if those partners are not vaccinated (again highlighting the importance of vaccination).
6) I realize that it is important to let people know of potential health situations (because prevention is definitely the key), but it is also important to realize that not every diagnosis is for sure. As I said in the previous post, it was never certain, and in this case, it turned out to be incorrect. Unless the message of alarm for anything potential regarding health situations and particular establishments/foods/medicines/etc comes from a health department or the FDA or other reputable establishment of public health, it is merely a word of caution and not a definitive diagnosis and explanation of what is actually going on. Sometimes it is better to say wear shoes, there may be rusty nails in here, even if there aren’t any nails, rather than let someone walk around barefooted, and find the one rogue nail that shouldn’t even be there.
7) I again want to stress that my friend has B and not A, which means that Joe’s on Juniper is FREE AND CLEAR. Now, let’s stop all this nonsense, get ourselves vaccinated, and go enjoy some wings and beers on the patio at Joe’s. I for one am going to need them after all of this mess.
7 comments for “the previous entry (regarding potential, but incorrect info on a specific case of Hepatitis A)”