When Influenza Turns Serious: How the Flu Can Affect Even Healthy Young Adults | Zachery Lang - Public Health Advocacy Intern, Families Fighting Flu

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you're 19 years old, physically fit, a collegiate wrestler, and you suddenly find yourself hospitalized for three days with influenza? Today's guest, Zachery Lang, experienced exactly that - and his story offers an important perspective on a disease many of us underestimate. Zachery Lang ( https://familiesfightingflu.org/family-story/the-lang-family/ ) is a student at Indiana University and a former collegiate wrestler whose experience with influenza dramatically changed the way he thinks about the disease - and about prevention. Zach is currently studying Public Finance & Management with a minor in Law & Public Policy at Indiana University, where he is also involved in campus service and healthcare-related advocacy. He serves as a Public Health Advocacy Intern with Families Fighting Flu, is active in Indiana University Dance Marathon supporting Riley Children's Hospital, and helps lead outreach efforts for Be A Kid Again. But the reason we're talking with Zach today is deeply personal. In January 2025, at just 19 years old, Zach - a highly active college student and former NCAA wrestler - became seriously ill after what he initially thought was simply a common cold. His condition deteriorated rapidly, and when he went to the emergency room, doctors found that he had Influenza A along with dangerously elevated creatine kinase levels, indicating significant muscle breakdown and raising concern for complications involving his kidneys. What followed was a three-day hospitalization and a recovery that took roughly a month. Zach's experience gave him a very different perspective on a disease that many young, healthy people may dismiss as something they're capable of simply “toughing out.” It also led him to become an advocate for influenza vaccination and to focus on communicating what he learned to other young people, particularly college students and athletes. Today, we'll hear the story directly from Zach - what happened, what he wishes he had recognized sooner, what influenza actually did to his body, and why a very healthy 19-year-old now looks at flu prevention very differently. #Influenza #Flu #FluVaccine #FluShot #InfluenzaA #Vaccines #PublicHealth #FluPrevention #Rhabdomyolysis #CollegeAthlete #Health #Healthcare #InfectiousDisease #VaccineAwareness #FamiliesFightingFlu #IndianaUniversity #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities Support the show