Every man for himself this autumn and winter

[Icecreamcoffee]

I got ill last summer. First it was COVID. I was sick with it. I isolated for a week with it in order not to pass it on.

A week after feeling better, I was exposed to a 24 hour bug or a norovirus. There was a small family gathering. One person was sick the night before and then after that many if us there became unwell. I was able to isolate in my room for a weekend with bottles of water and lucozade. One person had to go to hospital and it was confirmed norovirus.

Within the past 24 hours I was exposed to two different viruses. Time will only tell what way any of this is going to develop in me. If I get sick. My issue is noone cares. No one cares about spreading their sicknesses onto others. No one knows manners coughing all over the place. No one knows how to contain their germs. No one knows just how to minimise spread of sickness and illness. I was asked to babysit yesterday and the parents left and I discovered the child was sick with D&V. They could have minimised that exposure for me by staying at home with their sick child and allowing 24 hours to pass.

I came home last night to my mother coughing her dose all over the home.

It hit me - it's going to be every man for himself this winter to fend for themself against other peoples sickness and illness.

I would like to get some help from Mumsnet. What can I do, to mind myself as much as possible?
Like vitamins and supplements. Someone mentioned probiotics. Will probiotics help minimise sickness if I take them? Drink plenty of fluids. Vicks first defense. Is there any other tips and tricks or life hacks to minimise sickness and illness from other people.

Especially now when children are going back to school.

I was sick about 5 years ago with a very bad cough. I remember it and my chest was so sore from coughing. I was coughing to the point of peeing myself. It was awful.

I have an underlying condition and it's not typical of other conditions but my colon is weak and I am at risk of bowel perforations.

I remember the coughing I had a few years ago. There was so much action and work happening in my chest and belly. I am now at risk of bowel perforations and I dread to think what will happen of there's too much work and action happening from coughing or puking. I might end up in hospital seriously ill and needing a bag surgery.

@Icecreamcoffee COVID has been shown to trigger auto immune disease, so yes it may be connected to your psoriasis flare up. My vitiligo was dormant for years but since I had covid I've had new patches for the first time in about a decade.

Also plenty of protein. Essential for a good immune system.
This is why food like chicken and veg soup are always thought of as being 'medicinal'
Less sugar.
Lots of fresh air, moderate exercise,
Mental and physical stress can make you prone to illness.

You could wear a Hazmat suit when you go out 😁

I used to be a nurse and worked in the hospital, surrounded by ill people coughing and spluttering all over the place - was very rarely ill myself.

I do eat healthily and exercise, so maybe that has helped me. Stress lowers your immune response so worrying endlessly about catching something won't help.

Well we share a bed so it's possible if he wakes up coughing in the night! And of course he's coughing around the home, I don't send him into the garden! He does cough into his hand or a tissue though the same as I do. If your mother isn't covering her mouth then maybe you should speak to her about her hygiene.

I'm going through a different stressful situation too that I didn't explain here. It's very hard right now and I know I'm likely going to be prone to everything that's fucked my way from others.

This in spades!

You don’t need synthetic ultra processed vitamins when you can get all the vitamins and minerals from fermented foods and increasing your fruit and veg intake. Since focusing on gut health and ditching UPFs and supplements I haven’t been ill in over a year.

I have found stress is the worst thing for dampening down your immune system. It's not always possible to decrease the stress (eg bad divorce) but try to de-stress more by meditation, long baths, a good walk, laughter. Make sure you do that several times a week.

Otherwise it's the normal things.
Decent sleep, moderate exercise (even a 20 min walk to de-stress counts), decent food rather than TV dinners or takeaway, a multivitamin won't harm but you definitely need to take vitamin D, we all do if we live in the UK. And try to create a bigger personal bubble when in the company of those ill people who don't wash hands or cover their mouths. Zero excuse for that now.

Your immune system is overactive for it to be attacking your skin in a flare.

I found that active disease made me almost invincible to infections - last woman standing around norovirus every year, no colds or mild flu, that kind of thing. It was only once I started DMARDs that I needed to be more careful and started having my flu vaccines each year (and now Covid ones).

Generally, I reckon that if you aren't on DMARDs or steroid injections/oral route, good hand hygiene, good dental hygiene and eating well + Vitamin D covers the majority of people.

Wash your hands, wear a mask when on public transport or in busy public spaces, open the windows as much as possible.

Stress is also a trigger for psoriasis so try working on doing things to reduce it. Not easy I realise, but you have already been given some good relaxation tips above.

I work in school (so exposed to lots of bugs) and for a number of reasons the winter before last I was run down and constantly ill.

This September I started using Vicks First Defence daily and I haven't had a single cold or any other illness since. I've occasionally felt the start of one, a scratchy throat or similar but it's never come to anything.

Wipe anything you touch with antibac wipes. (Public transport, seatbelts, handles, etc.)

Don't do this. You can't live in a sterile environment, you need some germs to boost your immune system. Dirt is good.

Hiding away over sterilising etc will lower your immunity so you will get every bug going it's long been know that antibac and surface sterilising makes babies more vulnerable post Covid were the same the longer you hang onto it the more bugs you will get.

@jannier you are confusing exposure to bacteria/dirt with exposure to viruses. There is no benefit to exposing yourself to viruses, that's why we vaccinate where possible. But some exposure to some bacteria can be beneficial, letting kids play in dirt.

COVID weakens your immune system hence making you more susceptible to other viruses and fungal infections.

I'm one to be paranoid and anal about hygiene. My issue is sick people are not taking appropriate action to prevent the spread of their sickness and illness.

I was exposed to two different viruses in one day due to other peoples greed and selfishness.

It's really not hard to ask people to carry out hygiene and manners and if you're sick just minimise the amount of people you spend with.

Only time will tell what way this is going to pain out in me.

We are only in August. We are not even in the middle of winter yet where there will be more. There's a serious problem going forward into the winter.

Noone cares about spreading their sick and illness and just passing it onto others.

Maybe get different friends?

No there are a lot less viruses and bacterial infections this year compared to the previous two we are seeing fewer people off at school and sending fewer home. You can build immunity to viruses that's the theory behind herd immunity and no I don't advocate spreading deliberately and do believe in vaccines. The op over using cleaners etc is reducing her body's ability to fight anything once you go down with a mild bug you're more likely to contract more harmful illness as well as your weaker and less able to fight it off.
Obviously people should catch it bin it wash hands but lack of hygiene isn't new

That is meant to say I am not one to be paranoid or anal about hygiene and sickness and I certainly wasn't running from COVID and exposures for the past year or more.

My issue is seeing people and families who are sick and many people just don't care or have the intelligence to not pass it on. To take steps to minimise spreading it on. Nobody cares.

We are rarely ill (touch wood as serious thing like cancer are totally random and extremely bad luck from the extremely, otherwise v healthy people I know who’ve gotten it ).
We take multivitamins especially zinc (someone recommended it to me re throat stuff) and I highly rate cod liver oil .
We are all v v fit so lots of cardio exercise and regularly. Being outside a lot really helps , my dcs do loads of sports even in winter, we always wrap up and go out in the evening air after work and school (obviously this becomes harder as children get older though).
Are you inside a lot for work op ? Over weight ? Do you get enough sleep ?

Maybe you need to be explicit with people. If you are asked to babysit, say, yes, but only if children are well, say you are not willing to babysit ill children. Tell family/friends you would prefer in future if they rearrange meet ups if they are unwell.

If people know how you feel about this they are more likely to let you know if they or their children are ill and check with you about whether being around them is still OK with you.

If I am ill I would always let people know so they can decide if they would prefer to cancel the arrangement. It is a common courtesy. But I know not everyone does this and so unless people know you feel this way they might not consider it. Everyone has a different attitude to this.

I agrée, people don't care and think Covid is a thing of the past.

DH got on a plane two weeks ago for the first time since 2019, to visit his mum. Five days later he had Covid. He tried to keep away from me but now I have it and I'm so fucking ill. High temp, no voice, constant coughing, low oxygen sats, difficulty breathing, elevated heart rate. All because some cretin thought it was fine to get on a plane with symptoms,

It's my first time but I'm vaccinated and boosted, I take vitamin D, vitamin B complex and a few other symptoms and usually avoid most illnesses, so they must help a bit.

@AllLopsided you don't know that your dh caught it from the flight, or that the person he caught it from was displaying symptoms.

For many people, Covid is mild. People are expected to go to work if they have Covid, just as they are if they have a cold, unless they are too ill. Tests aren't freely available. If people have cold like symptoms and feel well enough to work, then they are not going to risk their job by refusing to go in.

So, someone who works in a shop might have mild symptoms and not sure if it's a cold or Covid. They will still go to work, interact with customers, maybe travel to get there by public transport. All of which might put others at risk.

If you really don't want to catch Covid, mask up and minimise your contact with other people. But please don't call people who might not even know they have Covid cretins.

My mum used first defence spray throughout her chemo, when she was going into indoor/crowded places. She was exposed to all sorts (unknowingly), including covid and flu and did didn’t even catch a cold!

I've always wondered if that spray actually worked or if (subconsciously) you change your behaviours because you are taking it ie stepping back when someone coughs etc. Maybe I should put some in the winter first aid kit 🤔