Fed up of hearing about the flu

[SpoonBaloon]

I know I’m being unreasonable but am I the only one who’s getting wound up by the constant coverage of the flu on every national news outlet?

It is December. Of course the flu is going around! Every winter we hear about the NHS being overwhelmed.

I can accept minor coverage but it’s been the main story for days on end and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop! And I know the flu kills and people need to be aware to take precautions but surely people don’t need it to be pointed out to them that they have an increased chance of catching the cold or flu in the run up to Christmas?

I was deathly ill with it last year but luckily have managed to avoid it up to now.

I have just recovered from the flu. I did notice I lost my sense of taste. Does that happen with flu?

And yes, OP, your post is completely tone deaf.

Just do your research, as with all viruses it’s mutated. However, it’s mutated earlier and quicker than in previous years!

Sometimes. I had chronic sinus issues for a long time and would lose my sense of taste/smell every time.

No I've heard this too.

The overweight unhealthy boomers had 1960s school dinners though didn’t they?

and they’re the wealthiest generation we’ve had

and they had “domestic science”
at school

how will any of those things keep them out of hospital?!

From the OP:

I was deathly ill with it last year but luckily have managed to avoid it up to now.

So you’re fed up of hearing about everyone else’s flu but you want us to care that you’re luckily fine?

Oh the irony.

Why should we care about your flu, OP?!

My husband and I both qualify for the vaccine and were initially offered
appointments at the end of December. Very glad I managed to get us seen earlier.

A healthier nation = less comorbidities = fewer people in hospital and dying.

Your ideas relate to children.

What I would like to know is why are so many kids sick with it? I was a kid and teen in 70s and 80s, and there was no mass absences from school cos of flu. Kids were off now and again for measles etc and the odd bad cold, never more than one or two in wonder months. Why are so many kids sick these days??

Yes because funnily enough to build a healthy nation we have to start from the ground up?

Winter months not wonder months

"Where is your evidence?!" knowing the poster might come back with a source with assumed links to the 'right-wing' because it follows a different line of thinking

"Stop reading such rubbish you conspiracy theorist hack! People are DYING!!"

Honestly, why bother? It's a waste of battery on my phone these days.

None of this will stop people getting 'flu. It's not how viruses work.

I’m in my 60s and most children in my primary school were in hospital having their tonsils out!

A healthier population would be better able to cope with viruses though.

Given the rate of infection is rising I don’t understand why the age limit for a free vaccine on the NHS is not reduced to those aged over 50 plus as has happened in a number of previous years. I am in my sixties and paid to have the vaccine privately early in the season although my employer later offered a voucher, but didn’t advertise it widely. In less than a fortnight families will be getting together for Christmas so those getting vaccinated late won’t have optimum cover in time for the holiday period, but it is still worth doing. A national campaign on not going out needlessly when you are ill along with the old coughs and sneezes spread diseases …campaign won’t go amiss.

Excellent post 👏

I had it a couple of weeks ago (had my vaccine about 2 weeks before), it was pretty unpleasant. My temperature rocketed up to 40° and stayed there despite paracetamol/ibuprofen, my heart was racing non stop for 3 days. No blocked nose but I did have gastro symptoms and developed nasty tonsillitis. DS caught it and same thing, his temp went up to 40.3°, 2 hours after a full
dose of ibuprofen his temp was 40.6°! I can imagine it’s hitting the very old and very young quite hard

An ex Colleague of mine died in ICU in May from complications of the flu; she was only 54.
So I take the flu seriously, I paid to have the vaccine recently.

I find it very frustrating , because we can't do much about it.
We won't wear masks in crowded places like Asian countries windows are still being firmly closed in school classes because teacher says she doesn't want a breeze...

What can we do ?

For children, the vaccine is 75% effective against being hospitalised, so definitely worth it.
For adults 18-64, somewhere around 35% so as a healthy 59 year old I’ll risk it.

The problem with wall to wall panic baiting news is that it will encourage the unintelligent to think that Flu = hospital so instead of getting a pulse oximeter, taking vit D + Vit C and staying hydrated, they will clog up A+E, adding to the chaos instead of just staying at home.

So the children in the schools shut down by 'flu were all already unhealthy?

So you might feel the impacts of your ideas in 60 years? The vast majority of flu deaths are in the elderly

And then along comes the lockdown to ruin Christmas.

honestly. All this over 2000 people!