I have the flu .....really confused about NHS advice

[2beesornot2beesthatisthehoney]

So I started feeling unwell a couple of days ago. Head, achy limbs, mild sore throat. I was of course worried that it might be Coronavirus so checked the NHS website 111 online for advice. I answered no to all the questions about have I been to ....China , S. Korea , Italy etc plus no contact with anyone who has it and yes to the one about any symptoms. Answer from 111 online was not to call 111 based on where I had been and no known contact, not on symptoms.

However it has been reported about people carrying the virus without symptoms , that the contagious period starts before symptoms show so just basing criteria on where you have been or not been seems crazy.

I did have to travel in the UK last week, as did DH (to different places) so who knows where I have caught this bug.

Last night I hear that the government might ask people in 10 days time to self isolate for any sign of flu or cold for 7 days.

I am self isolating , tucked up in bed. Can't do anything else right now. DH has however gone to work. I would rather he didn't and worked from home however inconvenient that would be right now.

Dd also working but I have had limited distant contact with her.

Yes I have had discussed DH working from home and said people won't thank him if he does bring CV into large open plan office , but he is going on present official advice.

No I haven't rung 111 anyway , I suspect if I did the call centre answering would just go through the criteria I did on line anyway.

Perhaps the issue may be the cost of testing everyone with any symptoms being expensive but we are talking about an infection with quite serious consequences for some and forking out now might be less expensive in the long run.

AIBU to think current NHS advice is crap and waiting 10 days before Giving new advice that people do Self isolate for any respiratory infection in case people get bored and don't do it is just crap and will mean people are needlessly put at risk.

Had the same this morning. They are telling us that unless you've been to the "risk" countries, or been near someone who has how do we know?) it's not orona virus. Doesn't matter what your symptoms are. Very strange.

This is my DS. He's poorly. Temperature, aches and pains. No knowledge of CV exposure, but as you say, it's out there now.

It's a quandary.

So I am not the only one in this dilemma. Are you self isolating or not?

I have a sore throat, bad dry cough and heavy chest but no fever and dont feel too unwell.. I was in southern Italy 20th feb and few days before and I've been told I dont need to self isolate as it was more than 14days ago

Sorry, it's not me, it's a relative. 111 said it's not corona so no need to self isolate! The person has asthma. They said "it's just your asthma".

I work in a public facing role. Started to suffer from sore throat whilst at work yesterday. Am now exhausted.

Usually have a day off today so am resting but don’t know whether to go to work tomorrow. I’d normally go with this level of symptoms.

Interesting to know what other people are doing.

DS is self isolating- he can, he has an en suite and a hot and cold running mother.

How long he will stay there is another question. When he feels better, if he hasn't been tested, and hasn't heard of any connected cases, then why would he bother?

That advice seems crazy, I'm in Ireland and we are swabbing anyone with flu like symptoms regardless of travel or contact with a known case. It's in the community you could have got it anywhere and this is why the spread will get worse

I did have the flu vaccination too. I know that doesn't necessarily stop all strains but has been good in the past. I get it free due to underlying neurological condition but am well on the whole. Yes heavy chest too.

Same here. Ive been told its a chest infection

I think it sounds like you are all doing the right things. You have some flu-like symptoms so are staying in bed. The rest of your family are fine and are carrying on as normal.

You’re best off at home as long as you aren’t in respiratory distress. See how it plays out. Can your dh sleep in another room?

Alpha but my DH is sleeping in the same bed etc and still going to work.

You definitely do not have the flu or any of it’s variations of you’re on here typing full on paragraphs.

In my country (40-odd confirmed cases) we have drive-through covid-19 testing stations outside some GP clinics. Everyone with flu-like symptoms encouraged to attend.

The UK is up to how many cases now? It’s going to keep spreading like wildfire if people like OP are at home with shivering fevers thinking ‘hmmm, what to do?’.

"You definitely do not have the flu or any of it’s variations of you’re on here typing full on paragraphs."

That old chestnut. I had diagnosed swine flu. Fever of 39-40 for about 10 days. Never felt so ill. But I could still go on Mumsnet and I did not lose either the power of speech or an understanding of paragraphs.

Meirou what a ridiculous thing to say. I am taking paracetamol, I have quite a high pain threshold anyhow I generally write in paragraphs and spell correctly because I am a pedant
I am mainly in bed to avoid unnecessary contact.

I’ve had this, it started two weeks ago. I doubt it was corona otherwise we’d have unknown origin cases springing up.

@2beesornot2beesthatisthehoney true, and if you're genuinely concerned that you, he and his colleagues have or at risk of coronavirus then you should ring 111. I'm sure they won't mind clearing it up for you if you're worried.

I had all the symtpoms Told I had a chest I fection and packed off with antibiotics.

I went back to work. 3 people have the same thing I had. One returned from Italy, got poorly and went home. The rest of us have been here

Still don't feel quite right. Work and nhs all saying same. I am fine to be here. No reason to think CV. Except, as I told them the week before I was in 2 days of meeting and was came in close contacts with about 40 people. No idea, where any of them had been

Regina, they won't know how many cases are springing up because they aren't testing us!

@Meirou90 that's not true at all, especially considering OP has had the vaccine. Some people test positive for 'real flu' and are able to so some normal life things.

Last night I hear that the government might ask people in 10 days time to self isolate for any sign of flu or cold for 7 days

To me, that sounds somewhat overcautious. I currently have a slightly sore throat and am sneezing/runny nose. I have not been to any of the high risk areas and probably not been in contact with anyone who has.

I'm just like any other of the hundreds of thousands/millions of people in the UK who has a bit of a cold, like many people do every winter.

Even something like 98% of people who have been tested for Coronavirus, after having being screened for symptoms and travel/contact, don't have it. If they ramped up the testing programme to include everyone who coughs in winter, it will probably take them until next winter to actually process all the tests.

Frustrated and worried, a small percentage do get it after 14 days so if you have symptoms and have been in Italy then best self isolate despite NHS advice.

Taking temperatures is a good measure. If it is above 37 then some sort of infection is likely. You don’t have to be unable to move to have a mild but uncomfortable flu virus, or a mild coronavirus.

It’s worth having a thermometer.