Retarded Hypochondriac

I've had this crappy cough for about a week now and I was sure I was dying from the West Nile Virus. There have been stories in our local papers about a few dead crow findings nearby, so of course I knew that was how I got this cough. Since tonight we're supposed to go to a pregnant friends house for dinner and a "game night" get together, I thought maybe I should make sure I'm not going to kill them all too, so I Googled it.

Here's what I don't have:

West Nile Virus. Coughing is NOT a WNV symptom. Now if I had a fever, headache, tiredness, body aches and maybe a skin rash, then I should worry. Even if I did have West Nile Fever, it would only last a few days, maybe a few weeks, and I'd get over it and live happily ever after.

I thought WNV was one of those SARS diseases where you get it, you die, slowly and painfully. Apparently the worst thing that can happen to you if you get it, besides feeling like you might want to die from the pain, would be some permanent neurological effects. And what's a little permanent brain damage? what's a little permanent brain damage? what's a little permanent brain damage? what's a little permanent brain damage?