It can’t be flu, can it?

ifeelsounwell · 2025-12-19T22:50:29+00:00

All week I’ve felt so unwell - stuffed nose, exhausted, headaches, occasional sore throat. I’ve taken ibuprofen and pushed through. Tonight ive developed an awful cough, my sore throat is back and ive got horrendous earache. it feels different to a cold, and ive had my flu jab, so I’m wondering if its a mild flu? How would i even know?

realsavagelike · 21/12/2025 17:06

Astra53 · 19/12/2025 23:45

General rule of thumb is if you are laid out flat with no appetite, its full on flu. If you are able to get up and have an appetite it's a bad cold or viral infection.

Flu is a viral infection.

Standatt · 21/12/2025 17:01

PinkElephants356 · 21/12/2025 15:54

Thanks that makes sense. It means different people can have different symptoms and severity of symptoms, which I guess means if one’s symptoms are mild then they should still try not to spread it as someone else’s could be really bad.

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I agree people should try and not spread viruses about. Any virus. But at the same time people can’t not leave the house if they just have cold symptoms. Many people have to still go to work. If you have concert tickets that cost £200 it would be ridiculous to lose so much money because you had a runny nose. You can’t cancel a holiday worth 5k because one person had a sore throat the morning you were due to fly etc. I do think that those with colds etc should ideally try and wear a mask. I’ve done it when a bit sniffly. Doesn’t bother me at all. I wear one at work most of the day and always have for 25 years.
But I’m definitely not cancelling all plans over mild illnesses. I will try and avoid passing viruses on by wearing a mask. Would be nice if others would do the same. But I wouldn’t demand it.

Mcoco · 21/12/2025 16:26

Bulbsbulbsbulbs · 21/12/2025 14:54

Antibiotics don't work for colds or flu or Covid which are viruses. Antibiotics are for bacterial infections.

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Yes i think you are right. Just wondered if they help with an ear infection though?

PinkElephants356 · 21/12/2025 15:54

Standatt · 20/12/2025 12:34

It’s referred to in certain ways by the public because we used to have no way of testing at home which virus we have. It’s only recently people have started home testing.

There is no such virus as a “cold”. A “cold” is just a collection of symptoms. It could be any number of viruses causing them. But because in the past we had no way of knowing which virus, and they often all cause similar symptoms, humans just started referring to it as a “cold”. But it could be a coronavirus, RSV, adenovirus etc causing them. And yes sometimes even an influenza virus if it hits the person mildly.

Influenza is a virus. There are many versions. Influenza viruses are more likely to make you severely ill than other cold causing viruses. So humans started referring to bad illnesses as flu. But unless you test, you have no way of knowing for definite if it actually is flu. Then the myth stated that all influenza infections leave you incapacitated and unable to move etc. Which is not true. As we learned during Covid, how a virus hits one person is not always the same as the next person. You can even be totally asymptomatic with flu, just like Covid and other viruses.
As someone else said, chicken pox isn’t any less of chicken pox if someone has 3 spots compared to someone who is covered in them and hospitalised.

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Thanks that makes sense. It means different people can have different symptoms and severity of symptoms, which I guess means if one’s symptoms are mild then they should still try not to spread it as someone else’s could be really bad.

Bulbsbulbsbulbs · 21/12/2025 14:54

Mcoco · 21/12/2025 14:46

Go to g.p and get antibiotics before everything closes

Antibiotics don't work for colds or flu or Covid which are viruses. Antibiotics are for bacterial infections.

Bulbsbulbsbulbs · 21/12/2025 14:52

I've had those symptoms for 15 days now, I'm only just starting to feel I'm on the mend.

As its lasted so long I'm starting to think it's Covid. I thought it was a very bad cold at first but colds don't tend to last that long.

You are absolutely right about flu. My GP told me that flu can be mild. This was when I had pneumonia but had no idea I'd had flu!

Mcoco · 21/12/2025 14:46

Go to g.p and get antibiotics before everything closes

EvieBB · 21/12/2025 09:29

TidyCyan · 19/12/2025 22:55

I've had COVID 3 times and never lost my sense of smell/taste. That was a symptom seized on by social/traditional media back in 2020.

But as the previous poster says, it doesn't matter what it is. Fluids and rest!

I lost my taste and sense of smell while suffering with COVID for about a fortnight (it was the longest and most frustrating 2 weeks of my life as I love food!)....and I whilst it's returned to the extent that I can gain pleasure from tasting again it's not fully back to normal as my spatone liquid iron supplements (which used to taste horrendous) now taste of nothing 😧

Ijwwm · 21/12/2025 02:25

Usually, flu comes on really fast. One minute you feel fine, then it’s like a switch has been flipped - full on body aches, total cotton wool head, etc. the fact that you’ve had a “lead up” of symptoms makes me think it isn’t flu.

Whatever it is, hope you feel better soon.

MyBrasTooTight · 20/12/2025 23:55

Both my kids have had the exact symptoms - down to the ear pain. They’ve both been vaccinated but we thought either mild flu or Covid. Who knows! So much going round - hope you feel better soon and can get some rest.

SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 20/12/2025 23:39

intrepidpanda · 19/12/2025 23:22

If you are able to sit typing on a SM forum then it's not flu.
Might just be a bad cold.
If you had flu you'd know.

That’s not true. I had secondary bacterial pneumonia AND the flu and was able to sit in my hospital bed on oxygen with IV antibiotics typing away on SM.

BooneyBeautiful · 20/12/2025 23:36

Libre2 · 19/12/2025 22:58

If you had flu you would know. I am 52 and have had it once it my life -20 years ago. It is horrific. If someone had set my bed on fire I would have struggled to get out of bed. I certainly couldn’t have typed a coherent sentence. DH had it at the same time - he was hallucinating.

I agree. I had it once when I was about 13. DF had it at the same time, as did DGM who lived with us. My poor DM, who was physically disabled (mobility problems) ended up looking after all three of us. Fortunately, she didn't get it, but she was so worn out, bless her. No flu vaccine available in those days.

DD got it when she was 13. She was so ill that I knew straightaway what it was.

Tryonemoretime · 20/12/2025 23:28

@snackatack Zinc helps with Long Covid?

CurlyhairedAssassin · 20/12/2025 23:27

ShowOfHands · 20/12/2025 21:37

I care for my Dad who has dementia and was due to see a friend who is about to start chemotherapy. The colleague I caught it from had already tested positive (and she tested because she has an underlying health condition) so I thought I had better check.

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Yeah, I think if I knew I'd actually been in contact with someone with confirmed flu I'd test too.

Hello39 · 20/12/2025 23:21

You can get a Covid 19 Influenza A/B & RSV 4 in 1 Self Test Kit if you really want to know if it's one of those

I'm not sure what the benefit is in knowing.

billiongulls · 20/12/2025 23:18

ifeelsounwell · 19/12/2025 22:52

i doubt it, i have my full sense of smell and taste still.

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I don't think losing smell or taste is essential to covid?

Livelovebehappy · 20/12/2025 23:03

snackatack · 20/12/2025 21:50

Have your trials suggested b12 and folic acid? I would say they were a game changer

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They did. But didn’t work for me I’m afraid. I’m currently back at stage 1 - doing the daily smell pots to try to retrain my brain to smell again. I feel it’s a waste of time and energy but I’m out of options.

DeftWasp · 20/12/2025 22:05

RubyMentor · 19/12/2025 22:59

You can’t have mild flu. Flu is when you can’t get out of bed or function

That's not true at all, flu can range from asymptomatic (about 18% of cases) to needing to be in hospital. Many people carry on with flu, by no means do all get the "can't get out of bed" level of symptoms, the symptoms are the result of the immune response put up to clear the infection rather than the virus itself, and we all differ in that regard.

However, what typifies flu is that whatever level of symptoms you have (assuming a symptomatic case) tend to come on quickly, in the space of an hour or two.

MyChristmasCheerHasBuggeredOff · 20/12/2025 22:01

People always think Flu is in bed and not able to function...
So if you are up and about it cant be flu.
This simply is not true
You can have flu and not have any symptoms at all

FurForksSake · 20/12/2025 21:59

I lost taste and smell when I was very poorly with covid in 2020. I did my own smell training using essential oils and lots and lots of reinforcement. It thankfully worked, in so sorry for those that never got it back.

Dogaredabomb · 20/12/2025 21:57

changenameagain555 · 19/12/2025 23:42

I had “mild” flu a few years ago. I had a headache, mild aches and mild fever but could function and do things round the house. DS also had it. It was confirmed influenza A by a lateral flow test.
flu is just like Covid. People have it with differing severities.

Yes, I agree. I've had confirmed influenza A where I didn't feel well but could function and another time I had flu where I was utterly incapacitated for two weeks. I was 18 and healthy and could only struggle to the toilet and drink water.

snackatack · 20/12/2025 21:50

Livelovebehappy · 20/12/2025 21:43

That’s interesting. Haven’t heard of that, and I’m still attending long covid clinic. I’ve taken part it lots of trials, and also alternative therapy’s, but nothing works. But I’ll definitely give your suggestion a try and report back. Thank you!

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Have your trials suggested b12 and folic acid? I would say they were a game changer

Livelovebehappy · 20/12/2025 21:43

snackatack · 20/12/2025 21:31

Low zinc levels (which can happen when fighting an infection) can cause this

i would look at testing your zinc - for about £10 on amazon

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That’s interesting. Haven’t heard of that, and I’m still attending long covid clinic. I’ve taken part it lots of trials, and also alternative therapy’s, but nothing works. But I’ll definitely give your suggestion a try and report back. Thank you!

ShowOfHands · 20/12/2025 21:37

CurlyhairedAssassin · 20/12/2025 21:12

How come you tested?

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I care for my Dad who has dementia and was due to see a friend who is about to start chemotherapy. The colleague I caught it from had already tested positive (and she tested because she has an underlying health condition) so I thought I had better check.

HalfasleepChrisintheMorning · 20/12/2025 21:36

I have just had flu- I know it was influenza a because I did a LFT off Amazon and it was positive for flu a. I have the vaccine annually and had this year’s in October.
I felt pretty rubbish - tired, cough and temperature. However I was well enough to play on MN, watch Netflix and potter about the house in short bursts doing things like unloading the dishwasher. It’s a myth that you will be too unwell to move.