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.

Yes. You turn up because you are either on a

• a zero hours contact so you don't get paid
• or you go to work sick because you feel guilty you are letting everyone down and you do not have a strong leadership value of you being well is more important than being there and they support do not tell you how much you absence is having a huge detrimental impact on the team.

You feel terrible, flu, aches and pains, cough, have no strength to do anything. Is that enough and then go to work and pass it on because you feel you have to for all the above.

I don't think so!

I'm allergic to the vaccine but I wear an n95 mask when I go out in company. I think it's just the right thing to do when the hospitals are struggling like that.

yes the OP is being unreasonable. Have so many people off sick Some who have come in and tried but had to be sent home. One now has pneumonia and still trying to come to work as zero hour contract!

He is 29 years old by the way,

I think we can take action.

The media for all the hyperbole must do their job this time. People need to know this is real, and take careful decisions.

The elderly need to stay away from busy places, we mustn’t visit if we have sick children for example. Being sensible and pragmatic would be helpful. I can’t stand the idea of Covid restrictions, but I am inclined to think we are in a worse position now than in 2020 or 2021 tbf.

I am seriously fit, how did I end up so ill? I honestly don’t know. It scares the shit out of me.

I'd like to know this too.But I doubt @smallglassbottle will be back to explain. Another lockdown would totally finish the economy off.

My DH got the vaccine 2 weeks ago and had flu this week, it’s very possible they have vaccinated against a different strain to what is causing havoc at the moment.

My DD has had it too, she’s only 6. 10 others in her class have been off all week with it. My DSIS, her children, husband all had it. I feel like I’m hanging on by a thread!

We don’t need a lockdown but we might need to suspend all surgeries that aren’t essential, and restrict care whilst we go through the peak. Vulnerable people need to be mindful. Practice some basic safety measures. This is a bad flu wave not a pandemic.

I know I agree. Do not have an answer but annoyed about the original post of " so fed up of hearing about the flu". So many people in my workplace are off but came in or tried to come in as they do not want to be off absent. Some of them on zero contracts, not my doing but some forced because of guilt of letting people down, OK Teaching and the kids, One had pneumonia and came in and literally collapsed. Enough of this you have to go to work no matter, if not you let everyone down, you are not strong, you put it on everyone else. Ok I am talking about teaching. My god if you are off ill you have let everyone down, the children, their family, their future, That is what you are told or heavily insinuated.

With respect, that’s just daft. If it was Covid they would be getting people to have a Covid vaccine

I think that is the bottom line to the issue in the NHS they have cut back until there is zero slack in the system.
And every year they end up with exactly the same issue, hospital full of people with nowhere to put them, ambulances queued up and people who need ambulances unable to get them.

But they will always blame people calling ambulances for cut fingers taking up ambulances rather than admit the issue is not enough hospital beds for people who need them.

I have had both, and they are both awful in different ways. Mine was confirmed with hospital testing.

Tbf the news outlets that are reporting as B) are sensationalist about everything

You have 3 children. This is my first baby after 6 consecutive losses. I guess that means you do 'win', but nobody gives a toss in the grand scheme of things.

YANBU

The media is whipping up a frenzy

The nhs is in a shambles so all this mask drama stuff distracts from that and places the blame neatly on the public

I don’t understand why they don’t just give the vaccine free to everyone, surely cost effective?

Well no, that’s the whole point. A large number of us won’t just ‘move on’.

I appreciate that you’re probably not interested in anything the government or the media has to say. But is there any tiny part of you that can appreciate that this winter is going to be exceptionally difficult for a lot of people and that gasping for breath in a hospital icu is not the way that many of us would prefer to go, so if you could just, you know, be a decent human being and wash your hands a bit more, try and put your hand over your mouth if you cough or sneeze, that sort of thing?

@Blizzardofleaves I agree but as per my earlier post I have a child in school with a teacher today demanding a window shut.
And yet we are getting constant attendance letters generally and threats.

Here we are cancelling surgeries. NHS staff aren't immune, never mind needing beds for patients. Friends OP cancelled because surgeon is ill.

Well congratulations and I'm very sorry for your losses, but I still don't understand what your post had to do with the topic?

I have a cold, I'm pregnant. I got my flu jab at 8 weeks. I have a temperature of 36.4, so absolutely fine. Aside from feeling a bit poopy, I'm okay. I've had flu twice in my life and I don't currently feel like I've gone through rounds with Mike Tyson. I'm now 26 weeks along and it feels like my baby boy is trying to kick the plug out.

No sympathy to those who feel like death with it who didn't bother getting vaccinated.

The media said this last year and of course snowmageddan. People become complacent for this reason .

OP, I will admit that I too thought the massive flu coverage was the usual scare mongering we hear every winter but my goodness was I wrong. They are right and it is a far worse strain than usual - everyone I know (young and healthy, wouldn’t normally get flu!) is dropping like flies with it. I caught it last week - was bed bound for 3 days feeling like death with a 40 degree fever + awful cough and I’m still not back to normal. I’ve gone on to develop secondary pneumonia. It’s absolutely brutal and I’ve never been so ill in my life.

The big issue is that the vaccine isn’t particularly effective this year due to it being a mutated strain.

I have also heard of someone coughing up blood and they had a really rough couple of weeks - healthy early 20s