Long Flu

[Inastatus]

I think a lot of people already knew this but it’s interesting to see the stats on long flu.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58726775

Post viral symptoms have been a thing since forever!

It takes a long time to fully recover from a decent influenza infection, been there.

Something like 75% of flu infections are asymptomatic too.

Sorry just hijacking a second but it's on topic and really shocked me that the bbc would report misinformation like this without mentioning the correct thing to do

In the article linked from that one in the op - the one titled the 'worst cold ever' about halfway down the original article

The person describes covid19 symptoms then said she did a lateral flow test that was negative - lateral flow tests are NOT for when you have symptoms! any symptoms, do a PCR

I can't believe how many ignorant plonkers must be going around thinking they have 'the worst cold ever' because they did a negative LFT

That means absolutely nothing with symptoms. BBC not helping there by failing to mention the person they interviewed has gone about this all wrong.

A negative LFT doesn't mean "nothing" if you have symptoms which could be either a cold or Covid. It shifts the balance of probability in favour of "just a cold", but you're right that it's still an open question.

Yes I had this, when I was 25. Horrible flu, and it left me with a thing that mimicked a mild asthma. I had an inhaler for a while. It took about 18 months to clear up, although it did get progressively better over time.

@lubeybooby - yes, good point about LFT’s not being appropriate for symptomatic testing.

DH was hospitalised with pleurisy 6 years ago and he had symptoms for years afterwards. Pneumonia and pleurisy have similar symptoms to Covid with the fevers, pain in the chest area and lungs and breathlessness. It wasn't like covid in that he could still smell and taste but the pain in his chest and shoulder and the dizziness and breathlessness went on for years. He's only just feeling recovered now!

@Bordois

Post viral symptoms have been a thing since forever!

I know. I think some people believe it only happens with Covid though.

@lubeybooby neither tests are suitable for asymptomatic testing! Our Gov has decided that that’s the current advice.
An LFT is just an indicator anyway. They’re so useless that many countries inc. the USA have ditched them completely. But they’re cheap and relatively easy and it turns out some people like to do pointless rituals to make them feel safe.

See I have had what feels like a really bad cold for over a week. Normally I can kind of carry on but I just feel exhausted and then at night I can't sleep because when I'm run down it messes with my anxiety. The coughing has receded a bit but my nose feels so blocked constantly and I'm aching. I've done 3 lft's latest being this morning and all negative. But according to nhs I don't have Covid symptoms

@Myusernameisnotmyusernameno

Isn't a cough one of the main symptoms to indicate the need for a PCR test?

Yes you do @Myusernameisnotmyusernameno - you mention a cough receding which means you must have a noticeable cough. That’s a symptom.. 🙄

I’ve deffo had long flu & also long glandular fever. I had flu in 2010 & was hospitalised. Boy was I poorly for months & months afterwards. Bone tired, breathless, headaches, couldn’t really concentrate very well.. I’d say it took 6 months to feel on the mend. But I did get better with no intervention, just time.

I had GF as a teenager. I had ongoing symptoms for 12 months. I could barely get out of bed some days. But I did & I got 10 A’s at GCSE while really quite poorly 🙈 I’ve no idea how I did it but I was young & flat out determined this wasn’t spoiling my life!

I did have a cough but it's going now. And a sore throat but was testing negative through all that. The whole thing confuses me. DH had a pcr and was negative.

I had “long flu” in the flu epidemic of 89-90. I didn’t start to feel better until late 1992. Completely messed up my GCSEs.

[quote DumplingsAndStew]@Myusernameisnotmyusernameno

Isn't a cough one of the main symptoms to indicate the need for a PCR test? [/quote]
Well it is yes but I didn't have a continuous cough. More of a tickle. Sorry the whole thing confuses me

@Myusernameisnotmyusernameno my cough with Covid was a 'tickle' it was annoying and nothing like the full blown chesty type cough i had expected. Just get a PCR.

Honestly the government guidelines on this are SHOCKING. Most people now are reporting muscle aches, fatigue, headache and congestion as leading Covid symptoms. Yes hopefully it is a cold for you but if people feel unwell they should be able to access a PCR and you can do if you have or have had (or have got) a cough. You can also access one if you just feel bloody awful and tick that you have got one of these symptoms. There are plenty of tests available.

I have actually booked a pcr now. Thought I was overreacting but read this and it made me think.

I'm on day 10 of Covid and what felt like a heavy cold.
Agree with pp that the cough was tickly and not chesty.
I was bed bound for a few days with fever, sweating, snot, headaches, sneezing, chills and dizziness. It wasn't pleasant.

Eight years ago, aged 40, I had flu for the first time in my life. It completely floored me. I'd never experienced anything like it and it scared me. I hoped my bout of Covid would not be the same. Fortunately, it was not in the same league as flu (for me) and had I not done a positive LFT before symptoms, followed by a PCR when DS tested positive, then it would have appeared to be a stonking cold.

If in doubt, even if you think it's a cold, get tested.

Flu was the trigger for my immune system for rheumatoid arthritis (auto immune disease) which I've had for the past 23yrs.
I had acute onset so it was fairly obvious it was the trigger.

@middleager that is interesting as I expected it to be like that. I had flu once and I felt the same. Couldn't get out of bed in four days and because I have been managing to get up each day I guess I downplayed it. I'll come back to this thread when I get the result

@Bordois

Post viral symptoms have been a thing since forever!

There was a report the other day that said (I think) that over 70% of people with long COVID actually had organ damage. Would be interesting to know whether that's true for long flu as well.

Porcupineintherough

I think it’s a similar figure for glandular fever

Reporting back
My Covid pcr was negative. I do feel better but that was a horrid cold.