I was told I was exaggerating when I said flu can kill

[Peaceplant]

I said this during Covid and I was laughed at for comparing the severity with flu.

And children.

Some people believe the earth is flat.

Let idiots be idiots. Its not your responsibility to make people aware, or teach them, or change their minds. Let them be idiots, set your boundaries and stick to them, regardless of anyone else.

But what else have the Romans done for us?

It isn't just flu. Frail and elderly people can die of common colds. Which is, in essence, what covid is. It will just take a few generations for it to be part of the general background noise that children development immunity to as they grow up. There will always be some that have an overactive immune response but for most, unless they are medically weakened, it will be no more than a cold.

I used to think that before I worked in ITU. I saw very healthy people who were critically ill with flu.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/influenza-in-the-uk-annual-epidemiological-report-winter-2024-to-2025/influenza-in-the-uk-annual-epidemiological-report-winter-2024-to-2025#mortality

About ¼ of people who died from flu last year were under 65.

The most ill I've ever been was when I got flu in my mid 20s.

Covid, flu, the common cold... you can have mild symptoms of any of them, or even asymptomatic, or they can be deadly. Its not a competition. Just like any other virus or infection.

My Great Grandmother died of the Spanish Influenza. My grandfather grew up without his Mum. It can kill but I wouldn’t panic over it. There are vaccines - just take it up if you can - providing heard immunity for those who cannot be vaccinated.

I think the problem is many people call a common cold flu when it's not.
There is a big difference with actual flu and unless you've had it before then many people are dismissive of it.

If you were comparing the dangers posed by a novel virus with that of flu Im not surprised people laughed.

This is actually one of the myths that causes problems.

Flu doesn't always have you bedridden. I have flu. I feel a bit shit, but if I had a job I'd be expected to be in because I only feel a bit shit.

I only know i have flu as one of my children is in hospital (long term health issues) and we were all tested for covid and flu. My other child also tested for flu and also isn't feeling anything worse than a cold.

That people aren't always bedridden is one of the reasons flu is such a good spreader.

It can, but do can milder viruses, you can develop complications to many viruses but that doesn’t mean most people have to worry

I spent decades questioning that flu kills.

Then I got real, proper flu as an otherwise healthy adult and it absolutely floored me. I lost 3 days and half a stone.

I think that many many people claim they've had flu and been ok, when in fact they've just had a heavy cold and dosed up on lemsips. Flu can and does kill, and shouldn't be underestimated.

I had the flu before, ended up being admitted to hospital. Was horrific.

I know of someone who died of flu. They’d come to visit their DD (who was a school mum from DS’s class) from overseas, caught flu and died. This was about 18 years ago. She must’ve been around 60.

A classmate of mine died in his mid-20s because his flu morphed into pneumonia.

I had flu A when DD was a few months old. 30 year old healthy me was bed bound for a week. The drenching sweats, fevers, rigors and vomiting were horrific. At the time I remember thinking death would have been a relief. I had a terrible choking cough for 2 months after. Went down 2 dress sizes.

Exactly

there was a flu pandemic long before Covid had ever existed

I was hospitalised in my 20s with flu. I was fit and healthy but I became very weak and ill. People shouldn’t underestimate it.

I did not believe in covid19 in 2020. Only my first admission into hospital in 2023 had me thinking there is some merit.

The flu symptoms nearly took my life in April this year after nearly contracting Sepsis and now I wear armadillo / snake skin compression for the rest of my natural as Dad puts it. 🙈

Recently given antibiotics due to my past.

What are we supposed to do differently if we know flu can kill? Do you want us all to panic more? How is it helpful?

Yes flu can kill . Especially the elderly , very young children, those with respiratory conditions.

Ps I’ve got a bad cold atm but it’s def not flu as it came in gradually and I don’t have the aches or a temperature.
i think I had flu in my 20s - knocked me for 6. I was doing a course at the time - went back in after a couple of days of being pretty much bedridden then and pretty much turned around went back home again for over a week. Not sure why I thought I could actually go about my regular business!!

The only other time I felt that bad was when I had Covid in 2022.

The vaccine isn't in short supply everywhere. I booked a private jab at a small local pharmacy yesterday, and when I got there they still had walk-ins available.

There was a really nasty flu in the mid - early 80’s and a kid in my class’s mum died of it in her early 30’s - really sad. Also worked in hospitals and it can get really bad in some people

Oh, and pregnant women. They die a lot too.