To wonder what the hell is going on with viruses these days?

[FuckOffTom]

Before the pandemic, back in the good old days of getting ill, you usually knew what was wrong and roughly how long you would be ill for. You knew what a cold felt like and that you’d be over it within a week. You knew what gastrointestinal viruses felt like and, although unpleasant, you knew you’d have 24/48 hours of ‘evacuation’ and then you’d start to feel better.

Since last year, everytime I catch something I can’t really identify what it is - it’s both gastrointestinal and upper respiratory except you don’t throw up, or have the runs you just know it’s affecting your stomach and the worst of it is… they last for weeks now!! Every morning you wake up, for weeks on end, feeling lethargic, weak and listless with no end in site. EVERYTHING feels like flu and lasts way longer than it should. Anyone else get this?!

Yes! I have been thinking the same that viruses are not the same since the pandemic. Every time we go out of the house, we pick up something new.

Had a cold that went on for about 3 weeks in October.

I have experienced the same thing, use to be over a cold in a few days now they last for weeks and I feel worse than I have ever felt

It's because COVID messes with your immune system, leaving you more susceptible to other illnesses, viral and others (fungal, bacterial). It also is a vascular disease so it can affect every organ, including your gut where the virus can linger, hence gastro-intestinal issues being common. Also why were seeing more scarlet fever, strep A, TB (it reactivates latent TB), long term illness and school absences.

If more people were aware how many ways Covid could affect you in the long term, maybe they'd take infection control/staying home when ill more seriously. Unfortunately the government is more interested in burying its head in the sand, so we're all set for continual illness. Welcome to "living with COVID".

Our immune systems have simply become a bit over-excited, that's all. They're catching up on all the viruses they missed during the pandemic.

Other viruses haven't changed. Either your perception of them has, or your reaction to them has. Another possibility is that some of these viruses you are getting are covid, which has always produced cold symptoms and gut symptoms in some people, and which is known for taking a good week or two to get over.

Would you care to describe an immunological mechanism for your theory? The OPs experience would suggest a weakened immune system not an over excited one.

Maybe you have covid? I think I have it currently but swab was negative. I have text book symptoms inc gastro and today have lost sense of taste and smell completely but don’t have a blocked nose.

I'd take that as a sign you aren't as healthy as you used to be and do something about it.

When I was fat and stressed out I picked up everything under the sun and felt wiped out by it.

Now I get nothing- sometimes the start of a cold but it goes in 24 hours.

I have friends and family who are all in the toddler and baby stage at the moment...the lot of them seem to be constantly ill...vomiting and runs every other week, coughs and colds in between, with the occasionally skin/eye/mouth infection thrown in for good measure. The craziest part is that none of the kids are in nursery. I can only think they are picking things up at soft play, parks or through other relatives. But all of them, adults, kids, newborns just seem to be really run down and sick all the time. I can't think of the last time they've all been well since the Spring.

Apologies, I should have phrased that "Our immune systems have simply become a bit depressed as a result of COVID, that's all." (Somewhat the opposite meaning!) This means, then, we are then apt to catch anything floating around - and it can take a bit to shake.

@DisquietintheRanks

Would you care to describe an immunological mechanism for your theory? The OPs experience would suggest a weakened immune system not an over excited one.

Already corrected that - I used the opposite word to that I intended!

Adelaide is bringing back mandatory mask wearing within clinical settings as there is a new spike in Covid infections - hospitals have sent out warnings. This is summer time in Australia.

My brother, lives in Northern Ireland, is extremely clinically vulnerable and he got Covid recently. He's very careful and can only surmise he caught it in a supermarket or when he went to the GP surgery. It took him 12 days to to test negative - needed to get the flu jab. He has to now delay his Covid booster jab.

No-one is washing their hands anymore although I do see some people in the supermarket wearing masks.

@EggEggEgg do you mean Covid infection depresses/weakens the immune system? If so that's correct.

If you're saying our immune systems went into hibernation because they weren't exposed to enough viruses during lockdowns, that's complete rubbish, a theory invented in 2021 to encourage wary parents to send their kids back to school with no mitigations against infection. (The so called immunity debt theory)

This.

A body that is already ill, suffering disease, stress, old, vulnerable, overweight picks up more viruses.

Viruses have always mutated.

As for "you aren't as healthy as you were,do something about it"!!! I was vegetarian for 30 years, completely fit healthy, stronger in my 50s than colleagues half my age,they used to say how strong I was. No bad backs like them We were nursing) I went to the gym, then got my own at home, cycling every weekend. Dogs other animals, huge garden, grow a lot of my own fruit and veg. They used to call me Mrs Good life. Didn't have a cough/cold/norovirus for over 20 years,in fact my family cannot remember the last time. Never smoked, kept my weight in check. THEN in September got Covid, first time ever. Never been so I'll, now have long Covid and under 4 different consultants! Two months ago I was hill walking!! Now I am so breathless, often I can hardly get across the room!

I'm so sorry this has happened to you. Hardly 'just a cold'. I hope you recover fully in time.

Oh my heartfelt sympathies with you @Nannyfannybanny It's awful to feel so incapable and I do hope that you make a full recovery over the course of time.

My brother had his previous booster last February, but obviously it didn't bring the immunity he needed. He loves walking but has now found it very tiring.

Covid is still unknown in terms of its lasting effects on our immune systems and the human body in general.

All you can do is ensure you look after yourself to be in robust shape for if and when you get sick. Not smoking, no vaping, not drinking excessively, eating well, taking good vitamins, staying hydrated etc are good starting points and even then you can still get sick but hopefully your body will be better prepared to fight off viruses.

I can’t deny that I’m not as healthy as I used to be.
I am in my late 30s and a healthy weight but I have been under extreme stress the last few months so I’m guessing that has something to do with it.
I can cope with colds and stomach issues etc but it’s the lethargy I hate. I really want to go out walking again but I feel so weak!

I agree with this - about 5y ago I used to be ill all the time. Now I haven't so much as had a cold for about 18mo (I work in a school and dd is at nursery, so not isolating or anything).

The difference, I think, is that I'm a healthy weight now (was underweight before) and been taking iron supplements for my low iron.

Op is there anything like that you can work on to strengthen your body?

@AussieManque

@EggEggEgg do you mean Covid infection depresses/weakens the immune system? If so that's correct.

Yes, this is what I'm saying.

Yep, I looked after a school aged relative during the half term and came down with a cold on the Wednesday whilst still looking after them and almost a month later I'm still not fully clear. It's taken to this week for me to start feeling as though it's finally lifting. It's not covid but it's been a shocker for duration.

My weight is fine and I’ve been taking vitamins for a while now (including high strength Vit D as I used to have a deficiency)
I think stress reduction is the way forward for me! Going to try getting out for a walk today. I used to walk for miles!

Post viral lethargy is very difficult to just 'try to get over' and can be very debilitating, which does lead to depression. Take it easy. Small steps and then rest.

I'd agree with the this. Your immune system is obviously not in a good way so maybe think about what you can do to improve it.

The last gastro illness I had was nearly a decade ago, and for my DH it's been even longer, so I can't even imagine noticing variations in viruses from one year to the next.