Has anyone had this flu that's going round or got it now?

[TheHillIsMine]

I'm interested in all the symptoms and how long one would be infectious for. TIA.

Yes. All of us at home. Started a few days before Christmas and still going. It is miserable. Every time one of us starts to feel better an hour later we feel rough again.

Usual flu symptoms, fever, aches, fatigue and weakness are the primary ones. We also had runny noses. Starting to develop an irritating cough. Temperatures up and down.

Managed to put a load of washing on yesterday and felt like I was winning at life for the first time in a week.

I have it atm, I ache all over including my face, my head is banging my ears are blocked, sore throat, extreme fatigue, irritating cough, blocked nose and loss of smell & taste. I have never felt so rough and nothing seems to be touching it in terms of medication. I’m on day 4

Lots of staff at work had it at the end of November and throughout December. Most ended up taking several days to a week off. They all had sore throats, fevers, horrendous coughs and spent days in bed because their bodies just ached so much.

Even for those who are on the mend most still have the cough weeks later. It's been terrible this year.

Thank you all. I am about to ring and tell work and I know they will be distinctly unimpressed but in all good conscience I can't go to work when I'm infectious. My clients are in their 80s and 90s. I've just been to the loo and coming down has worn me out. I also have asthma so this is not fun.

I'm on day four I think.

I've got it, as have a few people in my circle that I was with over Christmas (including kids). Personally I think mine incubated for a while because I had weird aches and shooting pains for a good few days before the full onslaught of symptoms came out! Now I'm coughing and spluttering, sneezing and dripping, very tearful, tired and slowed down, needing to stand by the window at times because my chest feels tight, my senses of smell and taste went yesterday afternoon, low appetite, mostly in bed, and absolutely fed up.

Happy new year! 🙄🤒

Edited to add: Has anyone else got ringing in the ears and occasional weird whooshing sensations that feel like your brain is lurching?!

I came on here to ask the same question. I'd think it was flu if I was sneezing and coughing more. Feel utterly wiped out, blocked nose, heavy eyes. I've had the jab so may my symptoms are less intense or maybe the worst is yet to come. I'm asthmatic so dread the chesty cough as it's my weakness.

@Mumwithbaggage ive got asthma too and I'm struggling to speak in sentences. The cough is so painful in my chest and my left boob hurts constantly.

My 7yo came down with it Christmas Day. Deep joy. Since then she’s passed it on to my DS(4), DD(2), me, my DH, and my mum! Based on the pool of people in our family I’d say it’s highly contagious and you’re doing the right thing!

My kids were all vaccinated and have shrugged it off remarkably quickly. Me and DH on the other hand…! It’s no joke.

Yes. My husband and I. Came on quite quickly. Within four days we were both feeling more human, we both have a horrible hacking cough which hurts so much. I hope you get better soon. It’s miserable. I think I must have sweated litres in the night (perhaps an exaggeration but I was sopping when I got up this morning) but since that I have felt quite a lot better. Symptoms wise, horrible fever, aching so much, no energy to even put my clothes on or move.

edited to add apart from the nasty cough I haven’t really had any what I thought are traditional flu symptoms like a cold. None at all 🤷‍♀️

My friend rang and said I sound worse than yesterday. Work said I can still work with PPE..

My son has it at the moment. Came down with it on the evening of Christmas Day and a home test confirmed Influenza A. He had a raging fever until yesterday morning, and still has a very sore throat, cough, headache, no appetite and just utterly exhausted. He's only getting out of bed to practically crawl to the loo.

We've got a house full of delicious food and no desire to eat any of it. 😢

Hope you’re not going into work OP? You sound no where near well enough and need to rest.

@TheHillIsMine please don't go into work. For years I went in as a teacher with a bad chest. It really slowed up my recovery and I felt like death for days - would literally "sleep" upright on the sofa, shower and drag myself in. It's probably damaged my asthma long term. Ended up in A and E once with a suspected heart attack (it wasn't just very tachy as I couldn't breathe and had overdone the asthma meds. My husband thought I was going to die. Look after yourself. Work is not worth it.

Ive had a cold for over a month now, had congestion, nasal drip & chesty cough for 2 weeks, no smell, now a sticky cough and mucus I cant get rid of. Fed up of it now.

I'm not going tomorrow but I know they aren't happy with me. But I'm a carer for people and I'm not 100% sure I can keep them safe without them catching it. Am I supposed to trust them that the PPE is sufficient? But I also know that I'm exhausted from doing very small things and I did too much after Covid, got long Covid then another time took nine weeks to recover from glandular fever. Staying at home is right for my clients and me but not for work. And I do feel bad as at least three clients will miss me and one will be disappointed.

Whole house down with it. Not much fun. Headaches, sore throats, body aches, sweating through the night and dizzy spells. On day two so expecting another two days...

Day 5 here.

Worst symptoms have been the splitting head and feeling sick. Fever and aches and coughing. Racing heart.

Christmas has been a total washout and poor DH has been doing it all. He’s amazing.

Has anyone had dizziness when trying to move around?. My friend said it must have affected my ears?

@femfemlicious yeah me. Nearly fell down the stairs.

If it's anything like the flu we had back in November, then you'll start feeling better only to rebound the next day. Day 4 or 5 I thought I'd turned a corner. The next day I was back in bed with full body aches and a temperature. Took 2 1/2 weeks to feel normal again, however I'm diabetic, so it tends to take me a bit longer to shake illness

I'm feeling better then I'm coughing again and feeling tired which is annoying.

No chance work will tolerate me having two weeks off. Anyone know how long I'm infectious for? I'm worried about my clients.

You're very ethical OP, it's a credit to you. Sadly of course, being ethical is often difficult because of the weighing up process before coming to a decision, but in situations like this it's important to listen to our bodies. On the other hand, that's made hard by society generally expecting people to suck it up and battle on. You're between a rock and a hard place, I hope you get some support to do what feels right to you.

I've just had dinner and I could faintly taste something, so that's reassuring. Slept deeply for an hour and a half earlier, which has also helped me feel less "this is going to go on forever 😱"

We will heal! ☺️☀️

I have lost my sense of taste as well I think.

I think the line manager was shocked I said I wasn't able to work but I won't be pressured when literally I could make someone ill or worse if I go in and give it to them. I've had a look at the rota as I want to check on a client I'm worried about and I've been cleared for the next three days.