> The problem is that most people call a mild cold or even an abortive infection "flu".

This is one of a class of problem I've identified as "stuff i learned in my childhood that is simply wrong".

For some reason, I grew up with the impression that vomiting and/or GI issues could be the flu, or the 24 hour flu. I'm not entirely sure how respiratory viruses with fevers became confused in such a manner.