How common is proper flu?

[Duckypoohs]

I'm just wondering how likely it is I have gotten to my age without having it

I remember my Mum being really ill once, she looked and felt really bad, I mean terrible. Dr came out but she didn't spend time in hospital.
I looked after her the best my mid teen self could.

Sister was v I'll too but a couple of years earlier

I’m 29 and only had it once in my life. Definitely thought I’d had it before then until I got it for real and realised they were just very bad colds

Could you get to 30/40 and have not had it? Despite being exposed?

32 and never had it

I'm 47 and only had it once, I was 26. It was horrible. I have flu jabs these days.

I’ve had proper flu twice, both in my late 20s- just horrendous (hurt to lie, ended up naked on the bathroom floor to keep cool whilst almost hallucinating) - if you have to ask then it isn’t flu

I’ve had it three or four times in my life, not for past sixteen years or so now though.

It is absolutely diabolical and nothing like a cold.

I'm 46 and have never had flu. People say you know if you have it. My husband had swine flu when that was around, and despite being in close proximity I didnt get that - unless I had it without symptoms.

I'm 45 and I think I had it once - I was the sickest I have been in my adult life. I'm normally the type to soldier on but I was in bed writhing with the muscle aches for three days and my temperature hit 40. I got bronchitis just as I was starting to feel better and was pretty poorly for another couple of months.

It was December 2019. I was in Paris just before I got ill. I wondered whether it could have been COVID rather than flu when they discovered it had been in Paris that early. I will never know as there was no testing back then and I've been vaccinated so an antibody test would be pointless.

@DontGoIntoTheLongGrass

32 and never had it

I don't think I have either, I mean I have had colds and chest/ear/throat infections as a kid, same as an adult. Does flu always mean terrible.

I'm mid forties only had it two or three times that I can be sure of.

It comes on suddenly normally in the evening. I start feeling just off, then a hour or so later my joints ache. One or two later I'm in bed. The next 24 hours I'm wondering if I'm going to die a few times. Then after 48 hours all feeling yucky has gone but I'm so weak I can bearly move for a week. It takes weeks to recover. It's weird as there is no cold, or sickness I just feel like utter death.

I felt a bit like flu was coming on a week before I had covid but it really weak version.

Twice... I'm late 40s...19 at uni and about 25 when all family had it... Both times in was in bed for days and absolutely terrible...

43 and had it once, it was the first time I realised how people can actually die of flu.

I remember sitting on the floor at the bottom of the 5 stairs to my bedroom following a trip to the loo, and realising they may as well have been a mountain.

I'm 45 and have never had it.

I had it for the first time 18 months ago aged 36. It was awful. I lost so much weight, couldn’t get out of bed and it went in my chest and I ended up in hospital with pneumonia

@Topbird29

I'm 46 and have never had flu. People say you know if you have it. My husband had swine flu when that was around, and despite being in close proximity I didnt get that - unless I had it without symptoms.

Have you ever had the vaccine?

I'm 36 and I've had it once. I was 19, and it floored me for 2 weeks. You would know.

It really sounds like I would know if I had it before, sorry for all of you suffering.

Had it once in 39 years. Was really awful, wondered if I ought to to go to hospital. Wondered if I was going to make it through at times. My body was convulsing as the shivering was so forceful. My muscles ached for days afterwards. Could barely manage to get to the loo as I was just too ill and weak to move

@Duckypoohs

Could you get to 30/40 and have not had it? Despite being exposed?

Yes of course. I'm in my late 40s. When I was a teenager my sibling had flu and was in bed for a week, very poorly. No one else in the family caught it. None of us has had flu since.

I'm in my 40's and have had it once, when I was late teens. Horrendous, everything hurt, I could barely get out of bed to go to the toilet. Flat out for two weeks. My DD had it when she was 8, and we were desperately worried about her, never seen her so poorly before or (thankfully) since.

Apparently it’s a myth that it’s always awful. I guess like most things, some people have it worse than others. The difference between flu and a heavy cold is the symptoms and speed of onset, not the severity of the symptoms.

Mid 40s and I had it once in my early thirties. I felt absolutely horrific. I get the flu jag every year, flu is to be avoided. I know someone, same age as me and no underlying health issues who died of flu. It's horrible.

Had it twice and both times I only left my bed to go to the toilet which was a struggle to make it there. Would never consider not showering or cleaning my teeth every day but that was the last thing in my mind. After the first bout I vowed never to say I had flu when it was just a cold. Am early 50's and only had flu jab this year.

Oh I'm so sorry it's awful when your kids are so ill. When my second was a little one he had a nasty case of hand foot and mouth, I was beside myself trying to help him drink

I have this paranoia about flu fml. I think I should be in the flu vaccine for whenever it goes out I have no idea why I'm so paranoid

I'm 50 and had never had it.

Had glandular fever though as a young adult and my god that was horrific, I was signed off work for nearly 3 months.