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Original poster

So you have a cold NOT swine flu , are you conscious of people looking at you sideways and avoiding you when you sneeze in public ?

46 replies

CaptainUnderpants · 23/07/2009 22:38

I have a cold not swine flu , I have the usual symtpoms of a common cold . no great rise in temp.

So life must go on but how do you avoid the 'looks' in public when you sniff and snneze in your kleenex !

OP posts:
weegiemum · 23/07/2009 22:40

I had a cold/cough last week and some people in church moved away from sitting in front of me!

I did not have swine flu. But they moved anyway. I was a bit .

MinkyBorage · 23/07/2009 22:41

I have hayfever, think dd might have had sf last week, but I'm getting a very wide berth!!!

Original poster
CaptainUnderpants · 23/07/2009 22:42

I suppose a good way to get to the front of the queue at the post office !

OP posts:
whomovedmychocolate · 23/07/2009 22:42

Actually if you want to get a seat on the tube I believe sneezing is quite a good way

Yes we have colds at the mo - DS is snot-tastic! People keep looking sideways at us when we go to the shops.

Tis v silly, you have no symptoms but are contagious for a day with swine flu. So for a day you are walking round, feeling fine and contagious and then you feel like shit and probably don't go out for the next week till you aren't - yet people think someone who has a cough must be a carrier.

Original poster
CaptainUnderpants · 23/07/2009 22:45

The thing is I work with pre schoolers , although we are obviously on hols now, but if I was like this a couple of weeks ago I would have been told to stay away from work for a week ' couldn't take any risks you know ! '

OP posts:
Elibean · 24/07/2009 09:48

Yes, have hayfever and slight cold, and am very conscious of sneezles in public

Then again, have to admit I washed the dds' hands after visit to public library where there were several very snotty, nasty-coughy LOs spraying everything. It was the coughs more than the snot that I noticed, tbh, deep chesty or barky coughs I'd notice even before SF as both dds have hard time with respiratory illnesses.

Elibean · 24/07/2009 09:49

(nasty-coughy meaning nasty coughs, not nasty LOs, obviously!)

vodkaandcoke · 24/07/2009 09:52

I went doctors the other day to have my blood taken for something and blew my nose as I also have just a cold. The old lady sat in front of me turned round and glared at me!! I was mortified.

Ledodgy · 24/07/2009 09:54

My sil sneezed on the train last week and a young man handed her a wet wipe and said 'You can't be too careful, swine flu and all that'.

Katisha · 24/07/2009 09:57

I have had hay fever all summer and now a slight cold that has, as usual, turned my sinuses to concrete - I feel I have to announce to everyone at work that it's a cold and not SF. I do feel a bit of a leper.

woodenchair · 24/07/2009 09:57

Yes! I had a chest infection a couple of weeks ago with a nasty cough. On the train the other commuters were visible shifting in their seats when i coughed. Got lots of comments and had to start every meeting with an explanation. Glad it's finished now.

Hulababy · 24/07/2009 10:04

I had an ear infection a couple of weeks ago and even the GPs were hinting towards SF. My school were releived when I said I wouldn't be in for a week as they too were convinced it had to be SF.

But I have had ear infections before and it felt just like that, albeit with a ehadache thrown in. But the headache can be caused by infection.

I felt like everyone was looking at me and avoiding me!

LilRedWG · 24/07/2009 10:34

DH has a bad cold and a temperature, but not swine flu. He flies to the States on business on Sunday and is dreading the glares on the plane - that's if he's even allowed on.

It's almost as if you are not allowed to be ill with anything other than SF at the moment.

AliGrylls · 24/07/2009 10:38

Apparently there is a problem with NHS Helpline misdiagnosing. Did anyone hear about the child that was diagnosed with swine flu and it turned out to be meningitis? Parents only just figured it out themselves in time. The people on the helpline seemed to have forgotten that there are illnesses other than SF.

Hulababy · 24/07/2009 10:41

LilRed - get him to take paracetamol and then 2 hours lateribuprofen. This will keep any temperature down.

waddlelikeaduck · 24/07/2009 10:41

I went to the next sale last week and as I am 6 months pg I can't take anything for my hayfever so several sneezing fits later I had several sale rails to myself!

my oh is paranoid that I'll get SF and die but like I keep telling him , no one comes near me with my hayfever! lol

LilRedWG · 24/07/2009 10:44

Hula - will do. He's been taking the brufen so will start him on the paracetamol now.

ThingOne · 24/07/2009 11:12

I have hayfever/asthma so even a little cold sounds very dramatic to those around me. "Gosh you've got a bad cough" is a frequent comment .

My only concession to the SF panic was not to take communion wine!

PrincessLayer · 24/07/2009 11:14

I've got a cold.
I've promised to take the kids to a big soft play place today.

Hopefully I'll be able to use it to my advantage, get a table to myself and read my book in peace. Anyone comes near me I'm going to start sniffling, and maybe chuck in a cough for good measure.

peppapighastakenovermylife · 24/07/2009 11:28

Lol me too - I am sneezing and coughing very apologetically in work at the moment.

Nursery have been pretty good as both children have had terrible coughs but been absolutely fine and they havent said anything. Saying that half of nursery always look like a prime case of SF

debbiewebweb · 24/07/2009 12:04

How do know its a cold and not swine flu LilRed. I thought the main thing that seperates the flu from a cold is a fever as adults don't get fever with a cold! It's very confusing .
Wonder if he'll get on the plane ok, but I guess cold or flu his fever should have gone by sunday.

LilRedWG · 24/07/2009 12:13

We have been through the online swine flu checker thingy and it says he doesn't need antivirals and not SF. He would never knowingly put people at risk.

debbiewebweb · 24/07/2009 12:39

I'm sure he wouldn't Lilred it's just confusing. My BIL has been really poorly with flu like symptoms but he's sure its not flu/swine flu coz it's not bad enough. Yet a friend of my has been told by her gp that her flu like illness isn't swine flu coz she's too poorly as 'swine flu is very mild'.
So it's just a bit confusing. I'm just going on the basis that its just another flu strain not hugely different than the one that regularly comes round and not to be treated particularly differently either. Hope thats right

KleineMaus · 24/07/2009 12:46

I'm really surprised reading this about the level of paranoia about swine flu. I live in the north-east of Scotland and noone is talking about it here. Granted I haven't really been listening to the news lately. As it happens ds and I have largely been staying at home recently as we're potty-training, which is probably a blessing. A friend suggested going to a soft play place but is worried it might expose us to SF. I'm 30 weeks pregnant so I'd really rather avoid it, but until she mentioned it it hadn't occurred to me. Am I being naive?

claireybee · 24/07/2009 12:50

I must admit I did give the checkout girl in the supermarket a look when she broke off from putting my shopping through to sneeze into her hands then picked up my peppers with the same germ ridden hands. Nothing to do witn swine flu though, just didn't like the thought of her snot all over my peppers