Are winter bugs worse now, or is it just me?

[Proteinpudding]

Sorry I know this isn't much of an AIBU!

I've just gone back to work after 5 days off with a virus - cold type symptoms, but bad enough that I couldn't get out of bed for a few days. Ear ache/headache/sore throat, swollen glands, chills etc. I've always been susceptible to respiratory viruses more than most (eg if there's a cold going round the office I'll get it and take longer to get rid) but I don't have any significant health issues that would affect me particularly.

Logging my sickness on my timesheet and realised I had similar around this time last year, I had three separate periods of 4-5 days off last winter. In the preceding years I'd rarely had to take any time off sick at all, maybe a day with the worst of a cold, but never a week.

I had heard that cold type illnesses could be worse after people being in lockdowns, but has anyone else experienced this?

NB this is not a dig at anyone who has regular time off - we're all different - I'm just a little confused as I'm someone who has been lucky enough to rarely worry about being ill, and I now I feel like I'm taking time off quite regularly.

Opposite for me. Used to get a lot of nasty cold viruses, haven't had a single one in over 3 years, not even a sniffle. Never had covid either despite numerous close contacts and working out of the home throughout the pandemic 🤷‍♀️

Going back on topic, I'm envious of those who have managed to stay healthy - though I'm not sure if the answer is to isolate and handwash, or expose my immune system to as many bugs as possible!

That’s why you need proof though, otherwise a wild idea is just a wild idea, and can’t be differentiated from anything else you may pull out of your ass.

and yes, it has been studied. It is indeed still being studied. Scientists can and do observe the effects of the vaccine in people who have availed themselves of it. Indeed, studies are showing an increased and adaptive immune system response, rather than a decreased one.
www.pasteur.fr/en/press-area/press-documents/covid-19-study-effectiveness-immune-memory-after-mrna-vaccination-recognize-variants-sars-cov-2

of course vaccines can cause harm, but you have to weigh that against the good they do, and the good has been repeatedly shown to far outweigh the negatives. All medicines can cause harm, be it a vaccine, paracetamol, or calpol.

How on earth could people like me be the cause of someone else dying with covid? What on earth are you talking about?

I've stayed healthy. The answer IS expose my immune system to as many bugs as possible! because that's how our immune system works. Scrubbing in every day won't help either.

As for the jabs, all I've seen is people who had them becoming increasingly ill.

That would have to be on an individual basis though. Weighing up the risk from the vaccine with a very low risk of complications from covid yields a different result than weighing up the risk of the vaccine with a very high risk of compilations from covid.

Cool story Mavis 👍🏻

If only the scientists studying it thought of that! Quick, email the Lancet and enlighten the community the large. I’m sure they’ll appreciate your insight.

Nice of them to consider it then apply a blanket policy that doesn't take into account individual circumstances at all.

@mavismorpoth people like you spouting 'but what ifs' about the safety of the vaccines, along with the 'healthy people with good immune systems don't need to worry' were what caused my friends brother to decide not to have it.

Then he died of covid at age 32.

What part of that do you not understand? I said in my first post your misinformation is not debate, it is dangerous. It is bullshit.

People like you have blood on your hands. You can protest all you want, it's the truth.

Because they have to consider the benefits for the population as a whole, and the response to the Covid vaccine has been shown to be beneficial to ‘the herd’, and indeed even the ones with weakened immune systems.

No one is being forced to take the vaccine, and indeed people have been encouraged to take medical advice in regards to their individual concerns and circumstances. You have agency and you’re free to exercise it.

So you don't believe he had any agency in his decision?

I haven't taken it either and I'm fine. It's not down to myself that someone else chose not to. I've never told anyone not to.

But all the people who had the jabs seem to get notably sick and this has an impact on everyone as well.

Currently very unwell myself but I wouldn't say they are any worse.

mavis “The answer IS expose my immune system to as many bugs as possible! because that's how our immune system works.”

by your reasoning, my frequent use of the Tube should mean I never get ill.

I have no dog in the vaccines fight. Just saying, your reasoning makes zero sense.

No because you conclusion is specious.

YOU are specious.

I don't think you know what that word means.

Of course going on the tube does not stop you getting ill, ever. No one said that. You're hysterical.

Honestly I remember saying before covid that colds had gotten worse. For instance our whole family had a cold like virus in 2017, which resulted in multiple people being bed bound and one person ending up in hospital.

I’m a lot of things, but currently I’m mostly just amused.

I am quite familiar with the definition of ‘specious’, and you do indeed match 90% percent of it, barring the attractive part. Your statements have already been demonstrated to be incorrect, according to studies on the issue, yet you’re going ten toes down on your own anecdata. As if it’s surprising that someone with implicit biases reports information that confirms those.

A researcher you are not. A virologist you are not. You’re arguing something you don’t understand as if you consider yourself to be an equal authority to those that do. You are not. Behave.

@mavismorpoth I've reported you for being a troll. Throwing in words like hysterical against people who use actual evidence when challenging you is proper troll behaviour. Stop wasting everyone's time and go back under your bridge.

But that’s not new. Been going on for decades.

I went through this along with DD from February until August this year, it was relentless. She is sneezing again at the moment. I am hoping I do not keep going through it, makes life really hard.

Myself and another relative, had an awful virus back in about March. I went on to develop something because of it. Poor relative was left with asthma.

I havent had the covid jab. Partly because I have an issue with blood clots.
But I have booked myself up for the flu jab[am over 50]. I had flu a lot in my 20s.
Odd viruses around if you ask me, and I dont fancy getting flu. Or a flu complicated virus or something.

We are generally healthy. A cold for me is usually one day of feeling meh then a few days of runny nose.

Just had a cold that whacked me, DH and DS out for about ten days. I couldn't believe it wasn't covid, did multiple tests. Had fever, chills, cough, headaches. All while toddler DS was ill and school age DD was fine and full of energy.

Anything you have done different?
Or you can think of would have made the difference?

I am always interested in side stepping colds and viruses.

You havent for instance stopped wroking in a children's nursery? Or somewhere where you interact daily with a lot of people for instance?

Or starting eating lots of garlic or something?!