Fed up of hearing about the flu

@echt no not imaginary exaclty what dd told me today.

You do understand the need for a ventilated space ? It's extremely balmy down south as well.

Was at an out-patients appt this afternoon. Almost without exception, staff were wearing masks. Many older patients as well, and I was glad to have a mask with me.

As a family, we’ve all been vaccinated. And we’ve all had the flu. I still cough a bit each day, a month later.

This is in Scotland, where all primary, secondary, and pre-school children are offered the vaccination. Also elderly and vulnersble people. Uptake is around 50% amongst those eligible. and hospital visits are being suspended.

It sounds pretty serious to me.

@somenerves I know we are due out tomorrow at the theatre in London for our Christmas family day out and I'm.absolutly dreading it.

@DemonsandMosquitoes why not allowed!!

Just had an enormous row with my husband about cancelling our London theatre visit on Saturday. Paid stupid money and have looked forward to it for over a year but I think it’s daft to risk getting ill for Christmas. He thinks I’m overreacting. So hard to know what to do for the best.

Have a pop at imaginary teachers on MN. Isn't it winter in the UK? I wouldn't be keen on open windows.

if you're thinking of schools, then decent handwashing facilities, i.e. paper towels, not hand driers, and desks cleaned every day would help.

And then along comes the lockdown to ruin Christmas.

honestly. All this over 2000 people!

So you might feel the impacts of your ideas in 60 years? The vast majority of flu deaths are in the elderly

So the children in the schools shut down by 'flu were all already unhealthy?

For children, the vaccine is 75% effective against being hospitalised, so definitely worth it.
For adults 18-64, somewhere around 35% so as a healthy 59 year old I’ll risk it.

The problem with wall to wall panic baiting news is that it will encourage the unintelligent to think that Flu = hospital so instead of getting a pulse oximeter, taking vit D + Vit C and staying hydrated, they will clog up A+E, adding to the chaos instead of just staying at home.

I find it very frustrating , because we can't do much about it.
We won't wear masks in crowded places like Asian countries windows are still being firmly closed in school classes because teacher says she doesn't want a breeze...

What can we do ?

An ex Colleague of mine died in ICU in May from complications of the flu; she was only 54.
So I take the flu seriously, I paid to have the vaccine recently.

I had it a couple of weeks ago (had my vaccine about 2 weeks before), it was pretty unpleasant. My temperature rocketed up to 40° and stayed there despite paracetamol/ibuprofen, my heart was racing non stop for 3 days. No blocked nose but I did have gastro symptoms and developed nasty tonsillitis. DS caught it and same thing, his temp went up to 40.3°, 2 hours after a full
dose of ibuprofen his temp was 40.6°! I can imagine it’s hitting the very old and very young quite hard

Excellent post 👏

Given the rate of infection is rising I don’t understand why the age limit for a free vaccine on the NHS is not reduced to those aged over 50 plus as has happened in a number of previous years. I am in my sixties and paid to have the vaccine privately early in the season although my employer later offered a voucher, but didn’t advertise it widely. In less than a fortnight families will be getting together for Christmas so those getting vaccinated late won’t have optimum cover in time for the holiday period, but it is still worth doing. A national campaign on not going out needlessly when you are ill along with the old coughs and sneezes spread diseases …campaign won’t go amiss.

A healthier population would be better able to cope with viruses though.

I’m in my 60s and most children in my primary school were in hospital having their tonsils out!

None of this will stop people getting 'flu. It's not how viruses work.

"Where is your evidence?!" knowing the poster might come back with a source with assumed links to the 'right-wing' because it follows a different line of thinking

"Stop reading such rubbish you conspiracy theorist hack! People are DYING!!"

Honestly, why bother? It's a waste of battery on my phone these days.

Winter months not wonder months

Yes because funnily enough to build a healthy nation we have to start from the ground up?

What I would like to know is why are so many kids sick with it? I was a kid and teen in 70s and 80s, and there was no mass absences from school cos of flu. Kids were off now and again for measles etc and the odd bad cold, never more than one or two in wonder months. Why are so many kids sick these days??

Your ideas relate to children.

A healthier nation = less comorbidities = fewer people in hospital and dying.

My husband and I both qualify for the vaccine and were initially offered
appointments at the end of December. Very glad I managed to get us seen earlier.