We’re all so ill

[Blueisthecolour1]

What is going on with the violent & never-ending illnesses this year. DS1 came home from school at the end of Nov with flu, sat under a blanket on the sofa for 10 days & then went back to school. Immediately upon his return DS2 (4) caught it & repeat with him for the full ghastly period. Then, last Sat, down I came with it - full-blown, face-exploding, sneezing, shivers, fever, nausea etc etc. Still feeling exhausted/congested. Wed this week just gone DS1 comes home from school coughing. Cue next two days coughing, shivering, vomiting & generally feeling wretched. Yesterday DH starts with the cough, shivers, aches. DS2 pale & lethargic this morning, not eating so awaiting the fresh hell of him about to get sick again.

I’m not sure how much more of this shit I can take. The house is in a terrible state, so untidy. I’m exhausted, we haven’t done tree/anything Christmas related because we’ve all been so so rough for the last month. We all had the flu jab this year, I know it’s not guaranteed to give complete protection but I was hoping it would take the edge off. Appreciate these illnesses may not have been flu but they sure felt like it in terms of symptoms/severity etc.

I’m so done. I’ve never known a winter like it for illness

The research shows that covid itself is the common denominator.

If we’re relying on anecdotal evidence I can tell you about my parents and some of their elderly friends who are fully vaccinated, haven’t had covid at all, and still get colds that last for 3-4 days.

@Anubis68 Is this your first time having CoviD?
I had a cry when I got up at how awful I feel! Have you seen someone re chest infection?
I don’t know how I’ll I’m supposed to feel? I’m coughing offensive stuff and asthma flaring but not sure if just par for the course and to ride it out?

There is so much going around and the cold weather isn't helping. We are a bit rough here and I'm exhausted. I bought extra groceries just in case I feel rubbish.

I'm not feeling Christmas this year. Do what you can to get well.

no i had covid two years ago when my dad was at end of life care 12 of us had it apart from my Ds2

i've got antibiotics

But surely it's the case that your immunity to viruses you've previously had wears off or expires after a certain period of time (assuming you're immune for between a few months and a couple of years to most circulating cold and flu-type viruses)? So it's not necessarily that your immune system per se is weakened, it's that your immunity to lots of things has worn off rather than one or two of them being topped up by a recent infection.

Lots of people, including me, hadn't had a cold in over two years due to lockdowns and masking etc. I had my first, extremely mild cold, about a month ago. Previously, I would have caught at least two colds a year, so presumably there are more viruses out there that I'm susceptible to.

Anecdotally, no one in my household has been unusually ill this year - I've had a cold, my husband and son have both had a cough that lasted a few days.

I have been unwell since mid-October culminating in Covid this week. I’ve never been this unwell for this long. I first had Covid two years ago and I think it’s buggered my immune system.

I think that Covid has messed with our immune systems. maybe the jabs as well. just never ending virus after virus.
same for grandchildren. they get over one bug, go back to school and then straight down with the next one.
Christmas is not really happening this year.
I don't have the energy for it.

my friends Dd is 32 and she's had loads of problems from her covid jabs

Have definitely noticed this and am in it myself - really hard to shake this cough

last week my 13 year old son was off ill with a cough high temp and sore throat. Took to the bed for a week. Not like him.

I am on day 3 and my lungs feel like they are on fire. I am breathless when I walk (weak) but I am not breathless at rest. My chest feels sore but I have a dry cough (but not too bad) it’s just I can’t go outside the cold air literally stops me from breathing. I have a burning throat, a headache and a fever

is this flu? I usually get on with thing but I am sitting here crying. God I feel so ill . The chest burning feeling is worrying me , but I caught this off my son? So does sound viral.

God I hope so with the health services the way they are at the minute. What a bad day 😢

Sympathies OP it's awful at the moment.
I've been taking the following every day this week and I'm finally healthy after 5 weeks of viruses etc:
1g vit c with zinc (holand and barrett effervescent)
big dose d3
echinacea max dose

Lockdowns haven't caused this. The immune system is not like a muscle that needs to be exercised. More likely impact of Covid on our immune systems.

calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-we-dont-know-whats-causing-the-tsunami-of-sick-kids-but-wed-better-figure-it-out-fast

This is a very good explanation re volume of illness currently

also my voice is very croaky too anyone else got the same when i've had a good cough it's ok.

Sympathies to you op. Similar story here, DH has pneumonia, DS and I have had the worst lingering bad cold we’ve ever had (I am 50s), it’s been 5 weeks. DD missed 2 weeks of school. We are all taking Berocca vit C/D multi vitamin tablets, a big tablet that fizzes into water as recommended by GP to boost our immune systems. Tree is up and a couple of big presents bought but that’s it, no stocking or smaller presents, just been too ill.

This is what happens when you turn the county into germ phobic recluses for the best part of 2 years. I'm not sure why everyone is so surprised. Get better soon.

I don't see why it can't be both - a lack of small 'top-up' infections/reminders to the immune system during lockdowns and the effects of Covid on the immune system. I'm inclined, unfortunately, to think the latter has the bigger impact - unfortunately because it seems to be a message a lot of people don't want to hear, and tbh I'm not thrilled to hear it either, having had Covid myself, as has most of my family.

Had the flu jab in September then the flu in November, presumably it helps but it’s not 100%.

Primary school is rife with all sorts ! We've had virus after virus, my theory is as it rained so much they all had wet play for weeks, which meant being stuck In A warm humid classroom for all playtimes.
Also all the handwashing and cleaning of classrooms has gone out of the window.

So lovely mix for all sorts of germs and bacteria to thrive!
Youngest has scarlet fever now 😱 eldest has that flu thing and I can't say I'm feeling great either.

@onmywayamarillo why are primary school kids not being encouraged to wash their hands and why aren’t their classrooms clean?

in my place of work we’ve carried on with the extra supply of surface wipes so that desks, keyboards and phones all get cleaned after each person finishes with them and also at the beginning and end of each day.

Only one out of the 4 of us at home have had covid, and so far we’ve only had the usual autumn/winter sore throats. Fingers crossed it continues!

We had flu jabs and we've been sick ever since.

DS was off school for 1.5 weeks and very poorly (with hospital admission) with flu 4 days after his nasal flu vaccination.

😔

I do wonder if the fact that it was the 3rd warmest November on record has influenced number of viruses.

Ds had been to the out of hours and has antibiotics for suspected strep A. Yesterday it was deemed just a virus by the GP with no sign of strep A but he went downhill overnight significantly.

Hope everyone gets better soon!

Oh and the message from school this week: well done to battling through the bugs to get into school. Yes, education is important but so is health.

Are you generally well? Healthy weight and lots of exercise etc? Definitely worth doing everything you can to boost your immunity with a definite uptake in illnesses.