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Original poster

Aussie Flu

112 replies

allglitteredout · 04/01/2018 16:59

Have you had it yet? If so, are the symptoms really that bad or is the media scaremongering us. I've read a few statuses on Facebook from people claiming to have this "Killer" flu but surely if it was that bad they wouldn't be writing about it on Facebook. I've had a very bad virus for the past 2 weeks that keeps coming back and sore throat so was wondering if that was it??.

OP posts:

AnaWinter · 04/01/2018 17:04

It is not that the symptoms are worse than any other flu. The flu vaccine does not protect most from this meaning it will spread more and could kill more vulnerable people such as the elderly/very young/people with respiratory problems.

Weezol · 04/01/2018 17:04

This type of thing makes me rather cross.

I haven't had Aussie, but I have had 'ordinary' flu twice over the years. I had to be helped to the bathroom I was so ill. The internet was the last thing on my mind. If people are posting that they have flu, they really haven't and they need to get a grip.

AnaWinter · 04/01/2018 17:41

That is not not true Weezol. Symptoms vary in severity.

KurriKurri · 04/01/2018 18:01

My sister's neighbour (in his 80's) has had this and has been very very poorly, she has been very worried about him - started before Christmas and he's still pretty unwell, but on the mend I think. The doctor has been coming out to check on him and carers have been coming in.
But obviously he is an elderly person (although normally a fairly robust one), so has been hit hard.

I do think people claim they have flu when they have a virus - I've only had flu a couple of times and I certainly wouldn't have been posting on FB with it. I've also had some very nasty viruses which have made me feel very ill.

I do worry a bit about this Aussie flu, as I am immuno compromised, I;ve had a flu jab but assume I;m not protected from this particular strain. ( elderly neighbour had also had his jab)

weebarra · 04/01/2018 18:09

My parents, both 70, have had something. They are both fit and well for their age but have genuinely been unable to get out of bed.
DH and I have a weekend away planned tomorrow for DH's 40th and we had to ask for other help (wanted to give them time to recover without 3 DCs and had non-refundable train tickets). They were sad not to have the DCs but relieved. Not at all like them. My dad is a retired GP and says it's pretty bad.

TalkinBoutWhat · 04/01/2018 18:09

Suspect i had it, but how can you know for sure? Didn't have much of a runny nose, but had such a sore throat i didn't eat and only drank enough to take some pain relief. Incredibly high temperature, went from being drenched in sweat to shaking so much i felt i was vibrating. One of the days i was so out of it i was delusional. Led to a throat and chest infection which required high stength antibiotics, and have been coughing up dark red phlegm. Over the worst now but still feel weak and fatigued. Oh and i had he flu shot back in October.

TalkinBoutWhat · 04/01/2018 18:10

5 straight days in bed, btw.

mightywoman · 04/01/2018 19:56

I think I have had the flu and same as talkingbout says above - Day 1 high temp and exhausted, Day 2 sweats, sore rasping throat, exhausted, Day 3 all the above plus streaming nose and 24 hours of non-stop sneezing, Day 4 sneezing stopped but virus went to chest, Day 5 exhausted, coughing, chest and back pain (from coughing). Am now starting to feel a bit better at end of Day 5 i.e. have been able to have a shower. Days 3 &4 were worst. 5 days in bed.

Haudyerwheesht · 04/01/2018 19:59

I posted on here with swine flu a few years ago - ds was tested and confirmed so it definitely was swine flu. It was honestly worst 2 weeks of my life but I couldn't just take to my bed as I had a 3 year old with subsequent pneumonia and a newborn no matter how unwell I felt:

However from my experience I'd say you know if you'd had flu - it nothing like a standard virus. You feel horrific.

Aragog · 04/01/2018 19:59

Unless somebody has been admitted to hospital and/or tested then they really won't know if they've had it or not.

I will be down as a statistic for swine flu. But I didn't have it. However the nhs flowchart thing had me down as having it and prescribed the anti vitals. A week later I was in hospital and I actually had pneumonia and was tested and apparently I hadn't had swine flu at all. It'll be the same for this one no doubt

Also it's not true that if you have flu then you are bed bound unable to move. Like most things there are severities and some people do get mild cases of flu. Likewise some cases of the common cold can be very u pleasant too.

Haudyerwheesht · 04/01/2018 20:01

Also flu comes on v quickly. There's no slow build up.

rockshandy · 04/01/2018 20:16

I'm getting over something. Not sure what, maybe just a virus. It was pretty bad. Temperatures and chills, sore throat, coughing up a lot of phlegm. A week in bed I was honestly that bad. DH had to take me to the shower/loo and stay with me as I was too weak to walk and the room was spinning.

I had brief moments of feeling better, being able to read or go online, thinking I was improving but the next thing I felt worse than ever.

I had my flu jab this year so that's why I am not sure if it was flu or just a particularly bad virus. I am generally pretty well and don't get sick much but this just wiped me out.

PurplePillowCase · 04/01/2018 20:21

flu varies vastly in symptoms.
it can make you very ill and it can and does kill people but some people just have a snotty nose or no symptoms at all.

Newyearwhodis · 05/01/2018 09:23

I think ds has some strain of the flu, he’d had the general winter runny nose just before Christmas, then at the beginning of this week his temp shot up to the 40s, complains of aches and pains in legs, dizzy, wouldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, very pale and teary. Dr prescribed Amoxicillin as there was some noise in his chest - she did say it’s likely to be viral but antibiotics just to cover him (for the chest)
Since then he’s been in bed all week, still no appetite, temperature has been stable but he has been waking up soaked in sweat.
Tried to take him out for a bit of fresh air this morning and he came over all pale and dizzy and vomited a little.
From the official symptom list he has nearly all of them.
He had the flu spray in school in October.

tiggytape · 05/01/2018 11:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

UrsulaPandress · 05/01/2018 12:41

I've got something. A rasping hacking cough that leaves me exhausted, has hurt my back and my front, pain in my sinuses, constantly cold, ache all over, no appetite and I seem to be having an unexpected dry January as I cannot even face a glass of wine in the evening . But I only spent one day in bed.

As I said to DD as we trudged through the mud back to the car in the dark and rain yesterday evening, no matter how bad you are feeling a bit of fresh air and a horse always makes you feel better.

Nottsangel2015 · 05/01/2018 20:36

Same as you Ursula not sure what I have although pharmacy seemed adament was this Aussie flu. Started with nausea, fever and sore throat then body aches. Then a horrid chesty hacking cough and wheezing. Can’t sleep at night, constant blocked sinuses and pain. On day 5 and chest feels worse cough is worse. Literally making myself sick and practically peeing myself with the force of it! Never felt anything like it! My chest and stomach hurt so bad from coughing! Thankfully been able to work from home this week, i made it in on Tuesday and literally my boss sent me straight home to work instead. Even working at home has took it out of me :-( feel so rotten. If it’s not flu it’s a really shitty virus.
When should you see a dr regarding your chest? My chest is tight can’t take deep breaths and obv got this cough. When I lay down I can hear wheezing in my breath. I presume all part and parcel but just wondered when you know if you need antibiotics etc...

WillowWept · 05/01/2018 20:41

I suspect I've had it - 8 straight days in bed, the first three of which I wasn't awake for more than thirty mins all day.

I could have posted on social media by day 4 but could t read or engage for long periods. I didn't eat anything for a week and getting up was exhausting.

dorislessingscat · 05/01/2018 20:43

DH and I have had flu - don't know the strain. Our symptoms have been more or less the same - fever, sore throats, hacking cough, chills, aches, headaches. We've spent most of the last two weeks in bed. We're not over it yet but are definitely on the mend.

I had one unedifying moment of fainting and spending 45 minutes on the bedroom floor before being able to get up again.

It's the most ill I have ever been.

UrsulaPandress · 05/01/2018 20:51

I can't eat or drink. And yes my chest is rattling and I have random head pains.

Can't stop shaking tonight so going to bed with a hottie and lemsip with brandy

Butterfly1975 · 06/01/2018 22:28

DH and DS have just had flu. It came on really fast and DS especially had a really high temperature of over 40 for 2 days. Very sore throat, aches and chills. Not pleasant at all.

I read somewhere this strain is affecting more younger teens than usual - I did think DS was quite young (13) to have 'proper' flu. I'm sure I didn't get it until my late teens/20s

OneMoreOne · 07/01/2018 12:59

I thought this years flu jab did cover "Aussie flu"?

According to the NHS, most injected flu vaccines protect against three types of flu virus:

A/H1N1 – the strain of flu that caused the swine flu pandemic in 2009
A/H3N2 – a strain of flu that mainly affects the elderly and people with risk factors like a long term health condition. In 2017/18 the vaccine will contain an A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 H3N2-like virus.
Influenza B – a strain of flu that particularly affects children. In 2017/18 the vaccine will contain B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus
The nasal spray flu vaccine and some injected vaccines also offer protection against a fourth B strain of virus, which in 2017/18 is the B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus.

Barnyforever · 07/01/2018 13:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

UrsulaPandress · 07/01/2018 13:09

Thanks Barney. Some days I can get up. Some days I can't. Maybe I have alternate day flu?

LaughingLlama · 07/01/2018 13:27

I'm down with some God awful virus/cold. It's come on too slowly to be the flu although my symptoms are trying hard to mimic flu. There is one simple way to tell if its flu or a vile virus is that flu hits you fast.
There is no feeling it coming on or rough a day or even a few hours before. Flu just hits you. With flu you can feel fine at say 2pm. By 3pm you are pretty much unable to function and horizontal somewhere.

I have had flu 4 times In my 45 years on this planet and awful that I feel. This isn't it. Thankfully.

Hope we all start to feel better soon.

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