Its a bad year for the flu in Montreal.  Help, I Have the Flu, created by Help Remedies, was released on Monday.  The free application searches your friends’ Facebook pages for entries that mention sneezing, wheezing, coughing and vomiting. Then, it shows a lineup of possible culprits.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the proportion of people visiting their doctor for a flulike illness has climbed from 2.8 percent to 5.6 percent in the past four weeks. That compares with 2.2 percent during last year’s mild flu season and a peak of 7.7 percent during the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic.

The flu typically is spread by coughing and sneezing. The virus can survive about 30 minutes outside the body. 

You can install the app at facebook.com/HelpRemedies...but will you?