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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

This “horrendous flu type bug”

164 replies

Maya678 · 22/12/2022 22:05

Genuine question, why is everyone referring to it as a flu type bug and not saying they have the flu? I only ask as I was told Monday I had flu by my doctor (I’d had to go to take my little boy who was ill with tonsillitis). I’ve never had flu before and though I felt truly rotten I was still doing mum duties so wonder if it actually was flu.

OP posts:
hellosunshineagainxxx · 22/12/2022 22:06

For some people it's actually covid but for some reason is taking longer to show positive on tests

talkingmorenonsense · 22/12/2022 22:08

I couldn’t get out of bed when I had flu.

Purplelion · 22/12/2022 22:08

It is a really strange, flu-like virus.
I had all over body aches, exhaustion, the worst cough I’ve ever had (Still coughing now) I couldn’t do anything, my DC went to their dads because I couldn’t make them dinner or anything. But I had no high temperature and negative covid tests.

RambamThankyouMam · 22/12/2022 22:09

Because apparently we're not allowed to say we have flu unless we are actually dead. Anything else is "just a bad cold" and if it's flu we would "know about it."

RainbowToes · 22/12/2022 22:09

Flu from my experience is so debilitating that you can not get out of bed.
This bug is like flu, but milder than actual flu.
Just had it, worst I've felt for years. Been left with a chest infection.

Flurbegurb · 22/12/2022 22:09

I thought with flu you couldn't do anything ie struggled to get to the loo. However this cold/flu/covid/whatever I have just now completely floored me, spent half of one day in bed and rest on the couch for a week- can get up and make a drink/go to the loo but have zero energy. Maybe it is the flu 🤷

Mumuser124 · 22/12/2022 22:11

My child was swabbed and tested positive for Flu. I don’t feel horrific but also not feeling great, I am considering myself to have flu.

Im sure lots of people have Flu and do not realise

DashboardConfessional · 22/12/2022 22:11

The thing circulating here is not as bad as flu, as in I've had colleagues able to sit at a desk and work from home with it. It's cold-like symptoms plus fatigue and aches, and in many cases has resulted in a chest infection a couple of weeks later.

porpy · 22/12/2022 22:12

I literally couldn’t get out of bed for the worst couple of days, other than to stagger to the loo. It was 1000x worse than covid which I’ve had twice.

I guess I say ‘flu-type’ illness as I’ve no confirmation it was actually flu or not.

Iam4eels · 22/12/2022 22:14

"Unable to get out of bed" as a test for whether you have 'proper' flu or 'just' a cold is a bit of a myth. There is a lot of crossover between a bad cold and flu in terms of how debilitating it can be and, as with any illness, its all a bit of a spectrum - some people can have a very mild case of flu and carry on more or less as normal, some will get a bad cold and be absolutely floored.

We've had lots of children at work who have "really bad colds" and I'd put money on them actually having covid seeing as we've ended the term with eight staff members off with it.

ILoveeCakes · 22/12/2022 22:17

VAIDs for the vaxxed - except it's not a vaccine by the traditional definition. Geert Vanden Bossche explains. Enjoy!

RitaSueandBobtwo · 22/12/2022 22:19

If you have proper flu you would know about it. I had proper flu and a water infection as I was so dehydrated which led to a nasty chest infection where I had three doses of antibiotics about 10 years ago. It was totally debilitating and I literally was unable to get out of bed for several days. I felt so poorly I just wanted to die as I wanted an end to it with shivering, fevers and hallucinations.

Over the years I have had lots of heavy colds, coughs, pneumonia, chest infections, laryngitis, flu like illnesses and covid but the proper flu was by far the worst.

I am almost entering my second week of this current heavy cold/flu like illness that is doing the rounds. Felt like shit for first few days but still managed to work from home, propped up on Lemsips and lots of early nights. I couldn’t have done anything with flu.

Original poster
Maya678 · 22/12/2022 22:20

I had done a lateral flow and it was negative. Similar symptoms to others really-fever and hot sweats, exhausted, headache, all over body aches, a really bad cough then nausea and vomiting. The cough I had for weeks before tbh and still have now. Had to carry on as I’m a single mum, one with sen so just did bare minimum!

OP posts:
WhatHappenedToYoyos · 22/12/2022 22:20

My symptoms were similar to flu - I can't say I've ever had debilitating flu before to compare it to - and some symptoms were closer to COVID. I tested negative throughout but spent more than a week pretty much sat on the sofa or napping.

I think if COVID had never existed then there'd be no question if it was flu as the symptoms match, but now we've got this other option and not fully reliable LFTs then it's hard to say for 100% certainty it's flu or not. What I can say about mine was it was awful and still lingering... Definitely not just a cold virus!

Blocked · 22/12/2022 22:22

talkingmorenonsense · 22/12/2022 22:08

I couldn’t get out of bed when I had flu.

Because people say things like this.

Muchtoomuchtodo · 22/12/2022 22:23

If you’re eligible for a PCR then they’re testing for flu too.

several colleagues have had negative results for covid but positive results for influenza. I think it was type a.

Figgygal · 22/12/2022 22:24

I've had flu once I've never been so ill in my life - only time Ive been signed off work, lost 10lbs, thought I was dying at one point i couldn't even stand up.
I pulled a muscle coughing that hurt in the cold for 2 years I was convinced I'd broken a rib
You know when you've got flu

MadameCholetsDirtySecret · 22/12/2022 22:24

Flu isn't just one virus. It is a range - some are more debilitating than others.

healthadvice123 · 22/12/2022 22:25

Unless anyone is tested no one actually knows
You can test for covid and if positive know you have it but flu / cold or test not picking up covid who knows
Plus maybe not everyone is wiped out with flu , isn't that point of jab etc plus surely like covid its different for everyone ??

Lurchintowardsyourfavouritecity · 22/12/2022 22:27

I think I’ve had flu. I’ve had the flu jab so assumed I’ve had a mild dose. I do t think I’ve had covid or a normal cold so I’m going with flu.

DetectiveDouche · 22/12/2022 22:27

Yeah that’s what I’ve got. I don’t think it’s flu because a. I have a bit of an appetite and b. I’ve had a flu jab (which makes it less likely I’m sure).

And I’m testing negative daily for Covid even tho DH has just had it

Manasprey · 22/12/2022 22:27

Flu: 3 or 4 times in my life.
Started with chills/ temp occasionally hallucinations. Reading was too much effort. Once took 3 hours to get downstairs. Minimal snot. Bad cough. Took a few weeks to recover.

Covid 1: dry cough, temp, sharp headache, lethargy. My running times never really recovered.

Current illness: chills, tearful, temp for couple of days. Rivers of snot and disturbed sleep. No real cough. Sinus pressure. V v much like a bad cold. Not flu. I have had many, many colds over the years. Many colds. I can remember the few times I had flu, cos they were so different.

Manasprey · 22/12/2022 22:29

I liked it when you had to have time off work. I'm back to:"I'll be fine if I get through the day".... and then feeling wank for ages.

BadNomad · 22/12/2022 22:29

Your doctor can't know if it's "the flu" without doing a test. Flu-like illness just means a viral illness. There are many, many viruses around.

georgarina · 22/12/2022 22:29

I had it and referred to it like this because I don't know whether it was actually flu or not. But it knocked me out for over a week, literally couldn't get out of bed. It was the most ill I can remember being.