Really terrified about this flu going around

The headlines appear to be becoming more intense and urgent about the whole thing and I'm saying that from reading reputable publications. However I was ill last month, tested negative for covid so I'm assuming it was this flu. It wasn't that bad apart from my sinuses fusing shut for a while. I then developed a secondary bacterial infection so I was sick for about 4 weeks

You can pay privately for the flu vaccine.
If I was that terrified I would get the vaccine (we have had our vaccinations), as it will provide some protection. Bottom line is you might get flu, but it’s not inevitable and if you catch it, you will recover.
Having health anxiety is a really stressful way of living, maybe you can get some help with that.

High temp, shivers, cough, aching and I’ve lost hearing in one ear. I’ve been referred to ENT. Still not 100% at the moment but hopefully I’ll be back in work next week.

Aww I know, think this sickness has got me going soft though 🤦‍♀️ thank you :) x

I agree.

All flu vaxxed in this house and hoping for the best. I’m Covid jabbed too due to immunosuppressants.

Kids have been a bit ill with colds but no flu yet (touch wood).

If we do get it - I guess it means a few days in bed and cancelled plans/ school/ work. Annoying but don’t suppose it will kill us.

Ah I was just making a silly joke, clearly wasn’t your intention. Glad you’re over the worst of it 👍

Genuinely didnt mean to scare her at all. Just trying to say I think with this strain it is what it is now without putting it rude and bluntly tried to show an example and feel absolutely terrible for it now 😕
Thank you, think we're over the hill now 🤞

Sorry it wasn't.my intention to scare you at all 😪 I just read how much you were worrying already (probably makes no sense at all) and didn't want you to worry more or feel bad. Like how you were going to pay for the jab and your husband wouldnt get it and I know its easier said than done but you just have to do what you think is best and, as much as you're worrying that you should have the jab im not the only.person to say they've still caught it.
Basically it just is what it is in the nicest way possible but hopefully getting the jab offers some protection. Im really sorry. I too suffer with health anxiety and have tried to take precautions that havent worked. Someone telling us not to worry doesn't stop us worrying does it unfortunately, we're dealt what were dealt I was just trying to say that without being rude.

I wouldn't call 3 days knocked for 6. I've only had flu twice but both times I was in bed for 9 days.

They say some schools are using masks.
I know masks were a pain in the arse in Covid and were littered on the ground alot but i think it was better in the Winter. People not coughing and sneezing everywhere.

@Caramelbarrel I can remember a flu epidemic winter 1975 to 76, but it wasn't widely reported and there was no social media to wind up everyone. (At least, we called it an epidemic, although I don't know what the scientific definition was.) I remember only 6 of us left out of a class of 30. It's easy to worry when it's talked about and written about because you trip over it with every step.

Are they all doing rapid tests for flu to know that they have it, though? There are viruses going around that aren't flu (we've all had one of them recently and tested negative, to my surprise). Also, many people are still havingcovid without knowing it because they don't test.

I?'m not sure. f this will help you, but a colleague has just been knocked for six by it. Usually a stoic, three days in bed, but her DC didn't get it, having had the immunisation.

I've definitely been exposed as I'm breaking out in post viral hives now which always happens to me.

I was jabbed in mid Oct.

Caught it off son who was worse than me in early dec

3 days of Sore ears swollen glands Runny Nose. Cough felt tired. Had Two pj days and watched films etc. I was till Able to potter about but needed a lot of rest then suddenly bounced back and the hives started.

My son was worse but he was
Late getting his jab Much worse cough and breathing issues. Also his heart rate was 92 and normally it's 60. He was off school a week.

I wonder if the reporting is partly to try and get the residents to call off the imminent strike…

On newsnight right now

Just to balance out the casual rubbishing of the vaccine (you may not mean to, but it has that effect), here’s how it’s been in our house:

DS16; not vaccinated because school don’t do year 12, he’s never ill, never even mentions it when he has a cold, wiped out with flu symptoms but thankfully only for a couple of days then lingering cough for 2 weeks. Unprecedented for him.
DH; not vaccinated, more ill than I’ve seen him in 20 years.
Me; vaccinated, could tell it was a flu strain because of aches, loss of appetite, and had to spend half of one day in bed, cough took a while to clear up, but basically extremely mild (I’ve had flu before which is why I always get vaccinated).
DS14 and DS8; both vaccinated, not a sniffle.

I think one of the problems this year is that flu has got its boots on earlier which means it’s got ahead of the vaccine for many. Many schools don’t get going with it particularly early. Our secondary school messed up the administration of the year 9s (I got my year 9 to the GP for his asap, in the nick of time it seems), and another local secondary failed to send out consent forms. I have never heard of so many ill children in 16 years of parenting.

I believe the vaccine works.

We've all had the flu jab a couple of months ago, it's free for all of us due to various reasons (but not because we are medically vulnerable). It was pretty easy to get appointments at Boots in October.
No sign of any of us catching the flu, despite 2 primary aged dcs, DH working in an office 5 days and all of us regularly using London public transport and going to busy attractions like Winter Wonderland, West End theatre etc. I'm 46 and don't ever remember getting severe flu (where you can't get out of bed etc), perhaps I've had milder cases but assumed it was a cold. I seem to be quite good at dodging viruses, my dcs had a bad one that wiped them out for nearly a week at the start of school term but none of the adults caught it.

You'll be immune to it after having it won't you?

Just go and get the flu jab

Weve all had the flu jab early October , and we were still all absolutely wiped out with it my DS was off school for 2 weeks , im 2 weeks in now and still bad although I am getting up and dressed now.

Not trying to worry you more just saying the jab doesn't seem to be as effective this year
Although im very pro vaccines so would still get it , I suppose we might have been even worse without it.

I wish I could lock us all in the house for the next few weeks .

I also can't understand when we are in a national health crisis as we are being led to believe this is or getting near one...why not drop school uniform and allow children to wear their proper warm clothes and trainers and ventilator the classes.
When those carbon monitors were issued during COVID they started to go off roughly every hour...ten mins of open windows and doors they went off for a cold while until it built up again .
This is so simple to me. Why can't people simply flush the air every hour ?
And ask people to wear masks in some area...

It seems that everyone who has been sick with it has already had the jab.

@Caramelbarrel I think lots of people don't realise you can get it for free.
I've had lots of conversations with people saying they can't get it because they are not xyz when what they mean is...I can't get it for free.

Yeah I know people who are 100% adamant that they will not get the flu shot or any other shot and yet, they were brought up long long before the age of social media and alternate news and influencers coming up with all these cockamami ideas that vaccines are part of a secret government mind control (or some other baloney)...

These are people who are well into their adult years, otherwise considered to be intelligent and well informed and well read, who simply will not get the flu shot or, after they've had two or three of them back in the day, any more covid shots.

"I've had enough of this! They can't make me! When we were kids we didn't get shots for every last thing (not true, but it was so long ago I'm sure they've forgotten), You go out there, you get sick, it's not a big deal! Why does everybody have to make such a big deal out of everything!?!?" (Is what they say, not what I say)

I say that public health which includes the development of and distribution of effective vaccines does a great job of lowering the instances and severity of illness within the population. No it's not 100% protection. Nothing is 100% protection. Yes there is the argument that the vaccination you get today may not protect you from the flu strain you come in contact with.
Aside from that... Basically people who use the argument that since "it is not 100,000% effective, it's not good enough for them so, why bother" ... Fine. Go out there live your life. The problem is, if they get sick, they're going to bring it back to your household. So, you do what you can to protect yourself, which includes getting your vaccinations, getting your children vaccinated, and then practicing good hygiene like washing your hands and keeping your hands away from your face and your eyes and your nose and your mouth, stay well hydrated, try to get the proper amount of sleep so you're not exhausted, eat well, when you're in a public place such as a grocery store or shopping mall or a doctor's office, put on a mask. If there's some kind of social engagement or party that'll be quite well attended especially in a small place, consider not going.

That's all you can do to try to stay away from illness during the winter time. Trouble is if you have school age kids, they're going to bring something home from school eventually, and if you have a husband that works in a school, same deal. All you can do is try to minimize the exposure and try to maximize your protection. Aside from that, there's not much you can do. Really. Worrying about it just makes your immune system lower.