To ask how often do you get colds/ flu?

[Hereinmyarms]

How often on average do people get colds and flu?

This is NOT a stealth boast - I haven’t had a cold for 3 years and I am actually quite worried about it. I know that’s ridiculous - but I am worried it’s been so long, when I do get it- if will be bad!

My partner seems to be ill all the bloody time- he’s always got a cold or some bug. I work at a uni and I am wondering if I have just developed a good immune system as have been around students a lot over a long time.

Anyway- what is the ‘norm’? I have probably had flu twice in my life and both times when my kids were little and I was tired etc. I think that’s fairly normal to only have flu rarely.

Anyway- it’s weirdly bothering me. Obviously I don’t want to be ill but I am worried it’s been a while and it will be worse when it comes 🤪

Never had flu and probably have a mild cold max of once a year and I’m retired…

I have had flu once in my life ,absolutely hideous and get a cold about once every 2-3 years but it always ends up with a chest infection requiring ABs . Am in my late 50s .

Nothing for at least the last 6 years, only knew I had Covid because I worked in health care at the time and was offered an antibody blood test which came up positive - absolutely no symptoms. My friends call me Typhoid Mary!

Probably a mild cold once or twice a year, heavy cold that needs time off work every 2-3 years. Never had flu but was pretty ill when I had covid

Flu, once about 10 years ago. Now take the flu jab.

Colds, about 1 a year, but i cruise a lot.

Thanks for all your replies- it’s very interesting to read them all.

I have another question- I have never had the flu jab - I had Covid jabs when we had to have them - had 2. But never had a flu jab- should I? My DS has had it every year since he was little as he has asthma and was under consultant care since a baby. DD has it in school.

But I have never had it- maybe I should start now? Don’t know.

Get it.

My dad ended up in hospital after the flu this year and he had the jab. I had it and the flu still put me in bed for a week

4 years since I've had anything.
I take vit D daily (6000 units)

I get a couple of colds a year. I've never had flu.

This thread has blown my mind. I probably get 3-4 nasty colds a year, sometimes more. Have had flu two or three times. Staggered that people have so few illnesses, I thought I had a good immune system...!

I currently have a stonker of a cold. Snot running constantly, bit of a headache, hot and cold and now moving to a tickly throat.
Haven't had a cold like this since the kids were at primary school.
(DD is a new secondary school teacher living at home, and brought it home straight after summer hols!)

Last cold was (mild) covid in 2021. Never had flu, but I get the jab each year due to an ongoing condition.

I’ve never had Covid, despite working in the community throughout the epidemic.

Colds, at most once a year. Flu, not for years and years though I was getting the vaccine the last 3 years but have decided against it this year.

My usual is about once every 2 years. I haven’t had one for a long time, probably more than that, so maybe it’s coming up!

Im 53 now, had COVID in autumn 2020, was no worse than a sniffle.

Haven’t had one in years. I don’t get ill tbh

I don't any more.

I was advised by the NHS to eat 30 different fruit & veg a week to boost my immune system, which sounds hard but isn't once you get into it.

And I changed dept. No more sharing an office with a male sales team who were constantly sniffing, coughing, sneezing and never seemed to use a tissue or wash their hands. 🤑

The two combined, I haven't had a cold in years 😊 It's fab.

I've had flu once. Proper stay in bed and eat chicken soup flu. If I've had flu since, it has been like a cold.

While my immune system is doing amazingly I'm not interfering with flu jabs. I'm going for a blood test soon though to check there are no nutritional factors I can address.

I work in a primary school and I get one chest infection every winter, and I’ve got a cold right now.

Honestly I expect your more near average, it's not necessarily a representative cross section of society that are responding on here. Most friends of mine gets colds a few times a year. It's only on here that you hear about people who never get ill.

People who spend a lot of time online here spend less time around real people. You see it on aibu all the time... not sure how many tropes there are, but for a few:
People don't even answer the door unless someone has prebooked. They won't let trades or delivery folks use their toilet.
They want xmas to be "just the four of them".
They won't sit next to or talk to anyone on public transport (though "why don't you drive?" is often asked)
They won't pick up anyone else's child from school or activities in case it becomes a habit.
Cold avoidance comes as a side-effect.

I’m feeling really unwell atm, always around this time of year

I've never had flu to my knowledge - at least never been so ill that I couldn't get out of bed, though people say that flu isn't always like that. I get the flu jab every year, it's free for me and I get no side effects, so I feel I might as well.

I get colds every few years , I have primary aged dcs. My DH has just had one and I never caught it despite getting intimate with him. I often don't get it when the dcs get one either. But it's usually quite mild, nothing that stops me from working or doing my usual routine once I take some painkillers/decongestant.

Colds I probably get every couple of years, I have had flu once and I never got Covid! Though I did have tonsillitis once and that is the worst I have felt in my life.

I only ever get one or two colds per year. I'm struggling with one at the moment, think it's Covid (again) because I've lost my sense of smell.

Oh that’s interesting re the plants. I eat a plant based diet and probably do get my 30 a week. I wonder if that does actually help 🤔

Flu twice, last time 26 years ago.
Covid twice despite vaccination
Colds rarely, I can’t remember the last time.
I’m 73 and presumably I have a healthy immune system.