To wonder which particular virus I DO have?

[musicalfrog]

I know it's not covid (thanks) but I wonder what it actually is then. If only all this testing could tell us how prevalent all the other bugs are, we could compare notes with our friends and it would make this whole 'being ill' thing much more interesting.

I mean, since lockdown lifted I've had germ after germ but it would have been nice to know how many separate ones, what they were called etc. Could mark them off on a chart or something.

if feel you pain and love your sense of humour !!!! My family would like to play germ bingo and virus snap !!!!

Like one of those maps where you scratch off where you’ve visited, except you scratch off to reveal a cartoon version of each virus? I’d be up for that

I sympathise! I had what I imagine was some type of flu last month (covid test clear). V puzzled how I caught anything with all the precautions we've had to take where I am.
It was honestly the sickest I've ever been - and I'm late 40s - I should've had a plaque on my wall with the name of that bug "Weatherwax had Really Nasty Bugger Virus here in 2021"

That would be fab. We’ve had Norovirus, common cold and bronchitis in the last 6 weeks and I can hear youngest coughing upstairs 🙈

A bit like a game of Happy Families?

Catch em all! Like Pokemon.

I’ve had every bollocking bug going, too. I blame the rugrat. It’s non-stop illness. I was actually worried about my seemingly ineffective immune system for a while, but it’s just the nature of them at the moment.

Why thank you @Mylittlepotofjoy it really could be fun, couldn't it!

On a serious note though it seems a missed opportunity to measure the prevalence of everything else out there in society too.

As with everything, there's an xkcd about this
m.xkcd.com/2535/

Haha that's brilliant @thecombineharvester

I was wondering about this recently. My 3 year old is now in double figures for PCR tests. The whole household has recently had a nasty cough/cold/fluey virus that's lingering on the chest (negative for covid). It would be very interesting to know what we actually had!

It would also be interesting to compare notes with friends and family... whose cold was it that you caught, etc.? But that's probably a slippery slope leading to blame... it's bad enough with covid!

Omg. I need this.
So fed up of getting ill

Horrendous norovirus (or similar) illness in September

Now, a shitty virus for 3 weeks. I’m exhausted by it all.

Ooh we could give them names, like storms!

I'm up for this. Cute germy wallcharts from Etsy.

Love it! And also the idea of making ill more interesting

Can we join in too ? So many PCR tests now I really should have bought shares . 15yr old DS high temp 3 days ago , got a PCR negative test ( result through just now ) and went into his room to tell him - and he starts complaining about how there are too many cats on the bed . It's a Dalmatian . He's got a temp of 103 and he's talking utter bollocks .

They do do this if you’re immunosuppressed! I have a friend who is regularly neutropenic because of going through chemo, and if she gets ill she has to swab and they analyse it and tell her what she’s got - eg. cold, paraflu, flu etc.

All in favour - it might shut up some of the "if you can open your eyes or crawl to the door to reach a priceless emerald it's definitely not flu" crowd.

Same, I've had covid, but didn't realise at first since I've had a cough since mid- October that's just lingered for fecking ages!! Thought I was getting the flu, then only did the lateral flow as I wanted to make a doctors appointment!

People do keep asking you what you had. Virus x3-126.rt6 would be a much better answer than my usual 'some sort of bug'...🧐

Great idea that beats ‘there’s so much going round’. Well yes, but what exactly is it going round?

I’d cheerfully pay a subscription for this service. I get every bloody cold going! Anything to make it more interesting.

Glad so many agree! There is definitely a gap in the testing market here.