The last time I remember feeling this bad was in May 1987. Apparently I’m not the only one. Scoble says “CES kicked my behind” and says this is “the worst cold I’ve had in decades.”
Sounds like we had the flu, at least according to this handy table of symptoms:
Flu generally strikes 1 to 3 days after exposure to the virus. The onset of flu often seems sudden: people describe feeling like they’ve “been hit by a truck.” Common flu symptoms include sudden onset, fever and chills, cough, muscle and joint pain, headache, fatigue and weakness. Some people also get a stuffy nose and sore throat.
Hit by a truck? That pretty much nails it.
I blame this on the young woman who was sitting across from me in the bloggers lounge at the Sands Expo Center last Wednesday night hacking and coughing in my general direction for an hour or so while I tried to compose a post and get it uploaded to ZDNet. Thanks a lot, lady.
Ed Bott (@ wordpress.com) 
I Googled on the topic and here’s what I found out. Unless you were within about 3 feet of that young woman, or you touched something she coughed or sneezed on and then touched your nose or eyes, you didn’t catch it from her. Neither you and nor the person who gave it to you may known it was them, as it can spread during the incubation period from people who are asymptomatic.