3 weeks after the start of flu and I’m still off colour

[Cosplay]

As the title stays 3 weeks ago I got hit with flu that turned to a chest infection. I had antibiotics which got rid of the popping candy congestion in my lungs but the fatigue has just not lifted!

It’s been the slowest drag to feel better - I’m back in work but every day is a hard, I’m tired, still coughing and I ache here and there. I’ve got a low level sore throat and a constant itch like feeling in my chest and throat. I also have low level earache and a headache.

I just don’t know how to pick up, time I guess but it’s so slow. I take a good multivitamin every day but I’ll be the first to say my diet is a bit carb heavy.

Has anyone else has this and how long did it take to get back to normal? I don’t want to bother the doctor again but am worried the chest infection hasn’t completely gone.

Post-viral fatigue is very real. It knocked me back for six weeks or so when I had flu. At the time I worked for a very large company which had its own medical service. The in-house doctor 'prescribed' me rest: I booked a conference room for 1h every afternoon and had a nap. He said that if my department had any issues with this he would sign me off sick so that I could rest at home, either full-time or part-time, until I recovered.

I had similar after Covid. No in-house medics this time. Within two weeks of returning to work (after a month off) I was called into a meeting because my performance had dropped so badly. I ended up working half days for a couple of weeks, and gradually adding full days. For months I came home from work dropped into bed and slept like a log for two hours.

I would say you need to go back to your GP. Firstly to check that your chest infection is completely cleared, and secondly to certify that you are not fit to return to work full time and need a graduated return until you have fully recovered.