Page 17 | People saying they’ve never had flu?

Wednesdaysotherchild · 18/12/2025 23:57

I’m same as you OP! At least 4 times and am in my 40s. Swine flu was the worst by far…

potatocarbcoma · 19/12/2025 00:16

StrawberrySquash · 17/12/2025 18:03

I don't think I've ever had it. Nasty colds, yes - lots! But it's probably possible I've had it and mistaken it for a cold. I know people say you'd know if it was flu because you wouldn't be able to do anything, but isn't that partly because we diagnose ourselves with flu precisely because we can't do anything. We saw with Covid how some people will be incapacitated and others just feel a bit rubbish.

You’ve definitely not had it then because I would have thought similar to you … until I had it!
I had it once when I was 40, have never felt so ill in my life. Literally considered wetting the bed as it was sooo painful to move my body off the bed and walk the 4 meters to the bathroom! It really is a case of you know you’ve had it when you’ve had it, it’s horrendous!
I do think some people say they’ve had flu but when they talk about it you can tell it wasn’t flu, it was a bad cold, but I assume that’s because they’ve not actually had flu and so assumed the aching and fatigue you get with a bad cold was flu. When you’ve have flu and hurt so much you physically can’t move your body you realise is a different level of pain to the aches of a bad cold!

I now get the jab every year.

Theslummymummy · 19/12/2025 01:58

Much much much prefer that to people who claim to have the flu when they've just got a mild cold.

Thepossibility · 19/12/2025 06:31

I'm 42 and I've never had proper flu. Or a flu shot. I barely ever had a cold before I had kids. I also only get mild symptoms when I get COVID.

Thepossibility · 19/12/2025 06:36

VikaOlson · 18/12/2025 23:53

No, you'd know if you'd had covid.
You wouldn't have been able to get out of bed, it's a really serious virus. You definitely couldn't have cooked.
People just think they've had covid when it was probably a cold.

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Not necessarily, I tested positive everytime and it was like a cold. Still could easily function. My DS had it at the same time (and gave it to me) and was so, so sick.

SparklyGlitterballs · 19/12/2025 06:36

I feel like I'm tempting fate by saying I've never had flu. I'm 62. I've had bad colds, but nothing that has left my whole body aching/can't get out of bed type of thing. For the past few years I've had the flu jab in winter, which I hope is offering me more protection.

baubletime · 19/12/2025 06:39

I had it once in my 20s. I am in my 50s now. Awful. A few colds since and Covid twice.

Backtorealityerr · 19/12/2025 06:41

I had it aged 35 and once you have had it ,you would never mistakes bad cold for flu ever again!

Buttcraic · 19/12/2025 06:54

40, no jabs and no flu. Had bad colds, but never bedridden for days on end or had to crawl to a toilet for sure.

I got covid, tested positive, but it was only really a headache for a few days for me 🤷‍♀️

TheNightingalesStarling · 19/12/2025 07:33

The NHS could save a fortune of virus testing, just emoloy some MNs to look at people...

The Common cold, influenza and Covid are all viral infections that can cause similar (but not identical symptoms, severe symptoms, mild symptoms or be asymptomatic. The only way of actually telling is virus testing

The reason they all spread so is easily is because people can have mild symptoms.

All anyone can say is if they've had a severe viral infection which meant they were in bed a few days.

Adifferentcorner · 19/12/2025 07:36

I’m in my early 50’s and I’ve had the flu once in my life, it was awful. I do get the flu jab though.

VikaOlson · 19/12/2025 08:09

Thepossibility · 19/12/2025 06:36

Not necessarily, I tested positive everytime and it was like a cold. Still could easily function. My DS had it at the same time (and gave it to me) and was so, so sick.

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What?
You mean it's possible for a virus to affect people with different levels of severity???

cassgate · 19/12/2025 08:18

VikaOlson · 18/12/2025 23:53

No, you'd know if you'd had covid.
You wouldn't have been able to get out of bed, it's a really serious virus. You definitely couldn't have cooked.
People just think they've had covid when it was probably a cold.

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Yes, I really did have Covid. Both times confirmed by a test. I completely lost sense of taste and smell on Xmas eve 2020. Went to the local testing centre that afternoon. Took 5 days for test result to come back but I knew I had it. Boris had already announced no mixing at Xmas and we had already cancelled family and were having a low key celebration. I really did cook Xmas dinner, just couldn’t really enjoy it as couldn’t taste it.
I tested positive again in July 2022 while on holiday in Florida, just had a hacking cough that time. Isolated in villa for a few days then carried on with the holiday.

Zanatdy · 19/12/2025 08:21

I’ve never had proper flu no. I’ve had plenty of heavy colds, sore throats etc but not the other flu symptoms such as aching etc. I travel on the train (busy, south london) every weekday and work in an office. Last time I had a cold was 20 months ago.

VikaOlson · 19/12/2025 08:21

cassgate · 19/12/2025 08:18

Yes, I really did have Covid. Both times confirmed by a test. I completely lost sense of taste and smell on Xmas eve 2020. Went to the local testing centre that afternoon. Took 5 days for test result to come back but I knew I had it. Boris had already announced no mixing at Xmas and we had already cancelled family and were having a low key celebration. I really did cook Xmas dinner, just couldn’t really enjoy it as couldn’t taste it.
I tested positive again in July 2022 while on holiday in Florida, just had a hacking cough that time. Isolated in villa for a few days then carried on with the holiday.

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Not possible.
I had a covid once and was really, really ill. Therefore, it isn't possible to have a mild form.

BoredZelda · 19/12/2025 08:23

Cumbrianlassie · 17/12/2025 18:00

I find this incredibly strange. I’ve had flu several times in my life and I’m 36, I mean the ‘proper’ flu - body aches, fever, skin pain, headache, cough, no appetite, fatigue for several weeks and weakness.

I had it in January, as did my DS and DP.
Havent had this new strain yet but feels inevitable!

Are some people just immune?

Never had flu, this year was my first jab.

Different immune systems cope with different things, but also, in flu season I avoid places where I’m likely to catch it. That’s easy to do for me, less easy for others.

WithIcePlease · 19/12/2025 08:27

@VikaOlson
Of course you can get mild Covid.

One could have Covid virus and no symptoms at all. Just like some people infected with the flu virus don't show symptoms.

Just because you were ill with it, doesn't mean everyone was

Thechaseison71 · 19/12/2025 08:29

Had it when I was 12. Never since and I'm 54. Never had a flu jab

Fizbosshoes · 19/12/2025 08:30

Havent rtft but isnt the thinking that flu - like covid - can affect people differently and some may be asymptomatic and others will feel extremely unwell, and even hospitalised.....and a whole spectrum in between?
....so those that dont think they've had it might have had a milder or non symptomatic version?

AllPlayedOut · 19/12/2025 08:35

WithIcePlease · 19/12/2025 08:27

@VikaOlson
Of course you can get mild Covid.

One could have Covid virus and no symptoms at all. Just like some people infected with the flu virus don't show symptoms.

Just because you were ill with it, doesn't mean everyone was

I think that she’s making exactly that point by being sarcastic. It’s a response to the people claiming that you’ll definitely know if it’s flu because you literally won’t be able to raise an eyelid and if it’s anything even slightly less severe than that then it can’t possibly be flu.

ArcticGrass · 19/12/2025 08:39

Proper couldn’t get out of bed flu, once when I was a kid, at Christmas, couldn’t even open my stocking. Really bad, knackered but could stagger downstairs briefly, twice, both post Covid.

ChiliFiend · 19/12/2025 08:40

Cumbrianlassie · 17/12/2025 18:06

I don’t have the jabs as I’m not eligible.

I'm so tired of reading this comment. You're not eligible to get it for free, but it's available in pretty much every pharmacy in the country for around £15-20 - I can't understand why people are apparently wilfully blind to advertising of this. And if you're well aware of that but don't want to pay it, then it's on you if you get it and have a bad time of it.

Fangisnotacoward · 19/12/2025 08:46

Ive never had it to my knowledge. Ive had some pretty nasty colds that left me in bed, but nothing that that utterly wiped me out in the way people say flu does.

N0tAnAcadem1c · 19/12/2025 11:06

Every day is a school day on Mumsnet. Here's one medical journal article supporting what @VikaOlson has said many many times 😄

In this study 8% were asymptomatic, 6% had nonrespiratory symptoms, 23% had acute respiratory symptoms, and 62% had influenza-like illness.
So all those people saying a 'bad cold' definitely isn't flu - it just might be! Only 60% of confirmed infections were 'proper flu'.

Biddle, JE et al (2025) 'Asymptomatic and Mildly Symptomatic Influenza Virus Infections by Season: Case-Ascertained Household Transmission Studies, United States, 2017–2023', The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 232(4), e637–e641. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiae591

Buttcraic · 19/12/2025 13:03

N0tAnAcadem1c · 19/12/2025 11:06

Every day is a school day on Mumsnet. Here's one medical journal article supporting what @VikaOlson has said many many times 😄

In this study 8% were asymptomatic, 6% had nonrespiratory symptoms, 23% had acute respiratory symptoms, and 62% had influenza-like illness.
So all those people saying a 'bad cold' definitely isn't flu - it just might be! Only 60% of confirmed infections were 'proper flu'.

Biddle, JE et al (2025) 'Asymptomatic and Mildly Symptomatic Influenza Virus Infections by Season: Case-Ascertained Household Transmission Studies, United States, 2017–2023', The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 232(4), e637–e641. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiae591

Ok well i went along with the 'flu cant be mild' theory before so maybe i just get mild versions 🤷‍♀️