Your first recommendations sound reasonable, but I disagree with the recommendation to avoid heavy exercise. For years, when I have felt a cold or flu coming on, I have always made sure I get my workout in -- and often make it an extra long one. I almost never end up getting colds or the flu. Why? Because I am replicating (actually accelerating) one of the body's natural defense mechanisms against foreign invaders -- raising my body temperature to kill off some viruses before they reach a critical mass and make me really sick. Many viruses thrive best at about 98.6degrees, which helps to explain why we evolved to raise our body temperature (fever) in response to a viral challenge. Additionally, there is evidence that this increase in body temperature helps our immune system function more effectively. That's part of the reason why many docs recommend not fighting a low-grade fever (under 101 degrees).

Note that other bad things happen when your body temp gets too high (over 103), so you probably are better off avoiding exercise if you already have a significant fever -- meaning that the window of opportunity has passed.

My wife refuses to believe this, and hits the couch at the first sign of a cold or flu. She ends up having far more colds and flus than I do, and they're typically more severe and longer lasting....