To think that colds are worse since Covid?

[AlertCat]

Just that really- I didn’t use to get a cold every year and sometimes they were quite mild. The last few years I have been ill on several occasions each year- ill enough to stay in bed, no question of working through it. Is this just me or do other people feel similar?

I agree ! I get them so bad these days !

I agree. Every time we've had a cold since Covid it's been a stinker and taken ages to go away. DH has a cold at the moment and he's absolutely fucked, he never used to get this ill (in nearly 30 years together)

We were isolating and wearing masks for best part of three years. Our immune system is shot as a result of not being routinely exposed to viruses.

I think its a mixture of things firstly an age thing as you get older it's harder on your body. Also and I don't mean this as it sounds but I think people have got more vulnerable since covid and just can't cope with life as well. I also think people have very short memories and forget how horrible colds can be, we all walk around saying it's just a cold but the reality is colds are horrible.

No different for me, in fact if anything I think I may have had fewer colds , I dont keep any kind of record but can't remember the last time I had to resort to a Lemsip

Not arguing- but how long might we expect this to go on? I work in public-facing jobs and with kids, we also have pets at home and a casual approach to housework, and have always been very robust up to now! Wouldn’t the immune system recover quite quickly?

Kids have both had a cold plus cough for two weeks, unusual for both of them

Yes!! So much worse. You’d have thought our immune systems would’ve recovered by now but clearly not.

I think we missed out on a lot of mutation of general colds in those two years and then have bumped to the 3rd mutation as such.

Are you testing? If not, you don't know if it's a cold or covid. Covid is a horrible virus. It really is.

I know some shrug it off but it's been pretty unpleasant every time I've had it.

I have had less colds but I am more careful since covid as I have a chronic illness now. I probably mingle much less and open windows a lot more!

How do you know these bad "colds" are not flu or Covid?

DP and I have just had Covid (we tested). We're both fully vaccinated so sympoms not too bad, but I'd say it was like a bad cold if I didn't know it was Covid.

I'm currently nursing a cheese grater throat .

I agree OP. I've had some absolute stinkers since Covid. Last winter I had two awful colds within a month of each other - I felt really ill with both. A really bad cold used to be quite a rare occurrence, but it now feels like many more are bad. Has having Covid affected our immune systems I wonder? Made them overreact to common colds or something?

I’ve just had covid for the first time

i hope that doesn’t mean I’ll get other stuff.

last really bad bug I had was 2018. I was ill loads in my teens and 20s but have been quite lucky after that.

is it just coincidence? I am very careful about taking steps to avoid things - I really don’t want to repeat my youth illness which was bloody constant.

It’s partly luck I’m sure.

Who knows. Little kids are constantly sick for all the years they are in a nursery. As adults, we are not starting from scratch but still.. I found the first year post pandemics was the worst. It is gradually getting better. I've not been ill yet this autumn. My partner's been sick for a week and I managed not to catch it so far

That's how mine started last week but it ended up being really mild. Hopefully yours will be the same

I haven't noticed this tbh.

I don't think so. I've had some horrible colds recently but I also had really horrible flu before COVID. I've been going to baby groups and have picked up a few snuffles here and there. A sore throat, the odd temperature but have shaken most of them off in a couple of days. I've only had one this year which was really grim. I don't thinks it's quite so black and white.

We didn't isolate for the best part of 3 years. 2020 - everything opened up by the summer, people were eating out to help out. By Christmas we did have to isolate again, but only because rates were so high because there weren't really any restrictions. Once everything opened up again in spring 2021, we didn't go back.

That is of course, for people who could work for home. Many people were working in healthcare, retail, schools etc and didn't get to stay home.

Covid does, however, damage the immune system in the same way that measles does, so the body is less able to fight viruses that would otherwise barely have registered.

I've heard this from lots of people but it’s not the case for me. And I have a nearly 2 year old who has shared A LOT of colds with me since her arrival!

Not for me. I’ve had some really awful ones and some 2 day snuffles no different to ever.

Maybe you were but and most people were definitely not isolating or wearing masks for the best part of 3 years, do you live in England?

My immune system is no different to what it's ever been, your generalisation isn't a valid one, my children are no more prone to colds and it's not something anyone in my family has remarked opon either and some of them do like to go in about their health

I was one of the people who worked in healthcare. We were given go ahead with no masks at work in early 2023. I know people who are still self- isolating.

@StripyHorse Covid does, however, damage the immune system in the same way that measles does, so the body is less able to fight viruses that would otherwise barely have registered.

this is interesting, could you elaborate? I had measles as a kid (I had everything as a kid and was rarely ill afterwards until covid and I got covid in 2022 for the first and afaik the only time).

We are still testing, because we live with a very vulnerable elderly person who stands a very good chance of dying if they catch Covid. We are those tedious people who still think it's appalling to go out knowingly infected with Covid and spread it to others. 🤷🏻‍♀️