»In which I'm on fire

As scientists identified the region of the brain responsible for fever, I had a rapidly-increasing reading on the thermometer.

“But in fact,” [Dr Clifford Saper] said, “they are part of an adaptive response, coordinated by the hypothalamus, to help you survive an infection.

“If you raise the body’s temperature a few degrees, white blood cells become more active; they actually fight harder. But most bacteria don’t grow as well.” For that reason, he said, fever can help the body quash bacterial infection.

Similarly, loss of appetite may help deprive bacteria of needed glucose. The aches and pains may make a sick person lie down and conserve energy.