To get irritated when people say they have the flu...

[HappyGoLuckyLuLu]

...(obviously not if they genuinely do) ... as people say this all the time when really they just have a cold and feel a bit pants. Their 'flu' (aka a common cold) is normally gone in a few days max whereas flu proper lasts a good 1-2 weeks, comes with fever, full body aches, vomiting, inability literally to get out of bed, and all sorts of other ailments along the way.

I just wish people would hold off pronouncing themselves as having the flu and keep that for when they really do have it. I know, I know, it's not a great deal in the grand scheme, but it's bugging me as have heard it from several different people in the last few weeks (one of whom is in hospital undergoing long-term care and it was the clinical care team who said it, which was immensely worrying given person's current overall medical status, but then actually it wasn't flu, it was just a cold and person was OK again after a few days, thankfully, but way to scare the crap out of all the family telling us they had flu).

For goodness sake people, more often than not it's just a crappy cold.

(With apologies to anyone who actually is currently or recently really laid up with actual flu - you have my sympathies and well wishes). For those of you with a snotty congested common cold, get a grip - but also get well soon ;)

“flu proper lasts a good 1-2 weeks, comes with fever, full body aches, vomiting, inability literally to get out of bed, and all sorts of other ailments along the way”

so what if someone had these symptoms, was swabbed and it turned out not to be the flu virus? Should they not have called it flu even though their symptoms fit your definition, or was that ok?

personally I am not bothered. I do tend to restrict my calling something flu to severe symptoms and a cold for lesser symptoms, but we must accept that people can and do have flu with milder symptoms, and practically you can’t restrict its use to your own personal definition of symptoms really

I get more annoyed by people saying they have THE flu. You wouldn't say you had THE cancer, THE arthritis or THE diabetes.

I assume I have the flu if my symptoms cone on very suddenly and a cold if my symptoms are more gradual.
YABU as plents of cases of flu are mild or asymptomatic.
I had conformed swine flu and wasn't very ill at all. As did my dad.

People can get flu relatively mildly, or it can floor them. A bit like COVID really.

Same with a cold though. Always seems mean I think to dismiss people for feeling absolutely horrendous and needing a rest for a cold.

whereas flu proper lasts a good 1-2 weeks, comes with fever, full body aches, vomiting, inability literally to get out of bed, and all sorts of other ailments along the way.
Well now that's just not true! I've had influenza x2 never vomited either times, could get out of bed (I mean I felt like shite and moving hurt but perfectly doable!) And was back to work after 5days (still not 100%, but okay enough to be back).
I've also had some really bad colds; running a temperature, sinus flair up etc. a bad cold can absolutely make you feel like crap and quite honestly if you're feeling utterly miserable with a bad head cold how productive are you really going to be?
It's actually not possible to know if it's flu or a cold without a swab. Some cold viruses can be just as horrible as influenza (covid anyone?!😆). yes I know sars is a different beast but still part of the coronavirus groupings.