to think that there are far more D&V bugs around now than there were 30 years ago?

[hopskipandthump]

We've got another vomiting bug passing through the family atm - DS 2 brought it home from school where it's doing the rounds.

We seem to get one a year at least - last came via some friends we went to visit - my friend revealed after lunch (which she'd cooked) that she'd just recovered (as in yesterday) from a D&V bug, and 2 days later we all came down with it on holiday, which was fun.

Anyway, my DM says there weren't bugs like this going round in the 70s when I was little. She might be wrong, so wondering what other people's experience is? Are there more of this type of bug now and why would that be?

You got me thinking now. Not sure. I don't remember many as a kid but I know my brother used to get sickness bugs more than me. Older generation often say need cold snap to kill bugs off, and winters are generally milder now bit dint know how true that is.

We've had ds ill with it this week and loads kids I'll locally.

I think people travel further afield and get exposed more. My family lived in a small village til after I was born, now they're spread across the UK, bugs tend to follow after visits/travel.

My dad blamed central heating for everything germs just sitting festering in warm damp rooms.

I think about the same.

Maybe people washed their hands more in the past.

I also think this, I grew up in the seventies and me and the people I knew were very rarely ill and if we were it was usually down to eating something dodgy. Now it seems that the kids are forever bringing bugs home from school, maybe it's down to bugs just becoming more resilient and not dying out as quickly as before

No. But my family are older now. Dont think it is worse amongst the older generation.

You could be right about los though.
Not sure. But I think young people socialise more than they did, hence the increase if there is any.

I agree re. the central heating.

Auntidote. I think that you are right. I still cant get used to the fact that it is necessary to have notices on how to wash your hands in hospitals.

I remember me and my siblings coming down with vomiting bugs occasionally, don't know how often. As far as I recall, my parents never caught it.

My DC have only had one once, which dh also caught, and bil, sil and nephew. I didn't get it - in fact haven't vomited (apart from in pregnancy) for about 12 years, not planning on starting either!

Maybe we were a really sickly family, but I was born in the mid-70s and some of the most vivid memories of my childhood are of heaving my guts up. One time in particular stands out because my parents had just had new carpet put down in the living room . Anyway, I remember it was just something that you expected to happen at least once a year or so.

people probably had stronger immune systems then
now, everything is sprayed, disinfected, neutralised to an inch of it's life
and kids used to be out in the great outdoors more
dirt is good- it helps build up natural immunity
the most healthy people are those that live on farms, apparently, as they are exposed to more germs and build up better immunity

I've just remembered that apparently at the time it was "doctor's orders" that if you'd been sick, you shouldn't drink any water. My mum was probably just trying to protect her disgusting swirly carpet, wasn't she?

I'm sure my brother and I were sick far more often than my children are, by a long way.

Thinking about it, I can't actually remember ever being off with D & V.

I don't think there are, I remember maybe being ill a few times a year as a child but my children haven't been ill that often.
DS has had D and V twice and DD just the once, strangely she didn't catch it either time DS had it nor did he catch it when DD had it. They both caught it went round the class.

I'm trying to remember the last time my children (aged 14 and 10) had any sickness beyond a mild cold, it must be at least 5 years ago (and that isn't me ignoring any sickness as my brother, who we see often, is on long term chemo so I'm extra aware).

I was sick loads as a child, far more than my children are.

I have a few theories about this.
When I was at school, most dc had one parent (usually their mother) at home, so when they were ill, it was no upheaval to stay at home.
Now my dc are at school, most mothers work, when a dc is ill, there are always a few who are taken into school with a "it's ok, it's been a good few hours since they were sick and they've had breakfast", so the bug spreads round like wildfire.
When we went to friend's houses as a child, I can't remember spending any time indoors, unless we were having tea.
If my dc have friends over, general consensus is they want to stay indoors.
Most kitchen and bathroom sprays are antibacterial now, so we don't have the exposure to germs as often as we did, so we don't have the immunity.
My house is a bit of a pig sty. My dc don't often get bugs.
Dsil is a complete clean freak, her dc get bugs at least 4 times a year

I think attitudes to them have changed. When I was a child you "were sick" or "had diarrhea" (sp) Now, a little knowledge seems a dangerous thing almost and it's a constant refrain to hear "Oh, he has Norovirus"

I think we threw up just as much, it just didn't seem important enough to talk about it!

I do think that obsessions with keeping warm/hygiene/antibacterial cleaners etc have a lot to answer for. There is a tendency to wrap ourselves and our children in an antibacterial fug. I mean, look at all that "Oust" kills 99.9% crap (when it's the 0.01% bug it can't kill that is going to get us, clearly, if you think logically!) And adding Napisan to the washing machine.

My house is not the cleanest. I will not be that person on their deathbed wishing they had done more bunjee jumping and less vacuuming.

I also note, in a non-scientific way, that larger families have children who throw up more. I suppose because exponentially they are exposed to more children and therefore more bugs. dd is an only and has been sick about 4 times in her life. (she is 10) I have a good friend with 5 children, and a good friend with 4, and there is not a week goes by that one of them isn't throwing up.

In the past people were more likely to take time off school/work during/after bugs as there wasn't so much pressure regarding attendance etc. Therefore isolation was effective at controlling spread. If people observed the 48 hour rule (symptom free) then incidence would decrease.
Sorry if this is gibberish but I'm very sleep deprived.

Bleach is not used to clean .

There do seem to be, but everyone makes such a fuss.

I'm sure we were just sick, cleaned up and sent to school if we didn't throw up breakfast and kept home if we did.

No 24 never mind 48 hour rule and yet less being ill. Very odd.

However, it was a very rural area. Everyone went to the same school and many of our Dad's worked in the same factory.

Lots of SAHM and again one employer for several who did work.

No nursery, preschool or loyalties activitiess any kind so no spreading sniffles there.

My DH commutes, the DDs do extracurricular activities with DCs from heaven knows how many schools. They are exposed to goodness knows how many bugs.

Last nasty virus, was probably from their friends private school (catchment the entire world).

Also we almost all walked to school and played out a lot and it would have been properly cold by bonfire night.

It's amazing how backwards people can be in their thinking. People move around more. It's not 30-years-ago, being cold has been proven to make people sick, not the opposite. I was 12 30 years ago, people got just as sick as now.