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 bought a bottle of it. It's too early to say if it's working. I don't have any dose yet.

The thing is that, regardless of the original reason for your cough, should you happen to have pathogens in your respiratory tract, even if you are unaware of them, coughing will spread them further and quicker than if you had them and were not coughing.

It's probably also true that if your respiratory tract is already irritated or inflamed it is easier for pathogens to establish a foothold there, so you are more likely to be carrying them, even if they are not actually making you feel unwell.

So, if you know you have a tendency to cough, it is thoughtful to be very careful about always coughing into a handkerchief or tissue, or at least into the crook of your arm.

So, if you know you have a tendency to cough, it is thoughtful to be very careful about always coughing into a handkerchief or tissue, or at least into the crook of your arm.

I thought the fact that I said it was disgusting not to cover your mouth when you cough made it clear that I do cover my mouth. I usually use the crook of my arm as I don't own any handkerchiefs (are they really still a thing?) and I can't always get to tissues in time.

Either way, I'm not staying in just to stop other people worrying, they can just get on with it. It's not exactly pleasant for me either!

Does it really matter though? I mean if you have a normal immune system, you get sick, feel ill for a couple of days and then get better. If it lingers, see the Dr and get antibiotics or whatever.
Even sickness bugs, although unpleasant, only tend to last 48 hours. And coughs and colds? It wouldn’t occur to me to minimise what I do if I have a cold.
My only advice would be to not stress about it, accept sometimes you’ll get sick and get on with your life without dwelling on it.

Thats wonderful for you but doesn't really help the OP, or others, who appear to have an unhappy immune system. So yeah. It matters 🙄

OK I am only 99% certain he caught it from the flight or the airport. There were people coughing and sneezing on the plane and in the airport. Can YOU say for certain that none of them had Covid? He had only been in contact with his mother in the U.K., who in turn is in contact with very few people, all of whom would test before visiting her. The airport is the only crowded place he visited. The timing is right too given the incubation period. Likewise I can only have caught it from him as I haven't been anywhere.

Tests are available online, so easy to get for 95% of the population. For those who can't manage the internet, some will be able to get to a pharmacy or ask someone else to order online for them.

DH emailed in sick on Sunday night and his boss told him to keep away from the office. He had two days off sick (plus the weekend and last Friday when he was WFH anyway), then worked from home for the rest of the week. This is normal considerate behaviour where I live. If you work in healthcare you can go back to work after 3 days if you are symptom free but must wear a medical mask for a week (same if you are attending the doctors/hospital as a patient). In general you are advised (not obliged) to isolate for a minimum of 3 days. And we wear and have always worn medical masks rather than cloth ones.

I'm sorry if my choice of words upset you but I am actually quite ill, concerned about being breathless and am barely able get to the bathroom. I haven't stopped coughing for 80 hours. While i understand that Covid is now counted as a 'minor' or 'mild' illness, it is a lot more than 'just a cold' for many. I will be missing other important treatments next week because I'll be too sick to go and wouldn't want to risk passing it on.

I have an otherwise fit friend in her 40s who has had Long Covid since 2021 and cannot walk more than a few steps due to shortness of breath.

I'm not sure now whether it was this thread or another where someone asked why people were still testing. One is that social responsibility thing that most don't seem to give a jot about: they want to isolate if they have Covid and not pass it on to others; many employers will not want you to go into work with Covid. Many can work equally well from home if they are well enough. The other important reason is to do with boosters - depending on where you live, you shouldn't have a booster within 3-6 months of an infection. How can you know this if you don't test when you have symptoms?

Only social responsibility is going to make the odds better for all of us, Is Covid now some kind of desirable accessory? Why would you not want to avoid the potential of a week in bed, or a lifetime of breathing difficulties, or a horrible death?