12% of Ireland's population have the flu/cold

faceman

According to health statistics on the radio today 12% of the population have the flu/cold/respiratory illness. Thats alot. That means there mu st have been alot of spit swapping over Christmas. Therefore statistically much of it could have been done by boardsies.

Who did you kiss and did you give them (knowingly to you, unknowingly to them!) the flu? Bonus point if you infected a fellow boardsie! Special prize if you name them! **




** Special prize may not be that special. Or prize-ish

CreepingDeath

faceman wrote: »

According to health statistics on the radio today 12% of the population have the flu. Thats alot.

They probably all got it from waiting around in the social welfare office.

mikemac

I think you misheard the report.

If you genuinly have the flu you are bedridden and incapable of doing pretty much anything. In fact it can can kill you, especially if you are elderly

Getting tired off people with minor colds and coughs proclaim they were "dying with the flu" :rolleyes:

Turd Ferguson

I think you need to change the title to "flu" as what most people would think is the flu is usually just a cold. Except man-flu, cos that's serious bizznizz

LEIN

Where did they get that figure from? I had a bad cold or flu and never went to the doctor so I'm not included in the statistic and I'm sure there are loads of people like me that didn't go.

Eoin

Damo9090 wrote: »

Where did they get that figure from? I had a bad cold or flu and never went to the doctor so I'm not included in the statistic and I'm sure there are loads of people like me that didn't go.

The report I heard was that over 10% of the population has some sort of respiratory illness at the moment, which would include bad colds / chest infections as well as some people having Influenza (I've stopped calling it the flu in the hope that people with the sniffles stop saying they have it).

Mark200

I woke up with a sore throat and headache today (i know it's not the flu, but just on the topic of being sick..)

Not that bad though, I'm in college at the moment. I rarely get sick, maybe once a year

Cuddlesworth

Damo9090 wrote: »

Where did they get that figure from? I had a bad cold or flu and never went to the doctor so I'm not included in the statistic and I'm sure there are loads of people like me that didn't go.

I'm pretty sure the figures are gotten from sales figures of cold/flu remedy's over a certain period.

LEIN

eoin wrote: »

(I've stopped calling it the flu in the hope that people with the sniffles stop saying they have it).

TBH i don't know what it feels like to have a flu so even if i had got it i would be reluctant to say i have the flu.

robinph

12% of Irelands population sneezed last week.

KTRIC

Wow, Dudess hasn't posted yet. Great so



Yeah had the flu on Friday, nasty stuff, runny nose and everything. Grand now though.

Larianne

I'm currently recovering from the flu. I was in bed all day Saturday and Sunday from it.

From here: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms.htm
Influenza usually starts suddenly and may include the following symptoms:

* Fever (usually high)
* Headache
* Tiredness (can be extreme)
* Cough
* Sore throat
* Runny or stuffy nose
* Body aches
* Diarrhea and vomiting (more common among children than adults)

I had all of the above except the last one (thank god!) Still think it will take 2 or 3 days to recover fully from it. I know I'm sick when I don't eat food.

A lot of people in work have had colds/flu in the past few weeks. I wish people wouldn't come to work when they're sick. But I can't blame them either if they don't get paid sick pay. No spit swapping involved.. unfortunately.

CivilServant

Couldn't have anything to do with all the overeating and overdrinking during the festive period. :rolleyes:

ejmaztec

RTDH would say that it's a government plot to cull the population in an effort to reduce the unemployment pay during the recession. Whatever you do, don't go kissing any TDs.

Dord

I had a really bad chest infection over the holidays. The worst part was the anti-biotics, they made me more sick.

AckwelFoley

Im die'in with a fluey aidsy type mix at the moment.. Spent all day yesterday in bed

brianthebard

Dord wrote: »

I had a really bad chest infection over the holidays. The worst part was the anti-biotics, they made me more sick.

I don't take antibiotics for chest infections any more, it takes longer to get over it, but after the drugs you're messed up for ages anyways. At least when you don't take the drugs your immune system emerges victorious from the battle everything is back to normal and stronger for it.

Zzippy

Back in work today, 2 girls came in but had to go home early with flu/cold, of the other 4 all of us were sick at some stage with a cold over the last 2 weeks. So I'd say 10% is a conservative figure. Obviously statistically sound based on my huge sample size.
I haven't had the real flu for over 20 years at this stage, still remember how bad it was. No desire to catch it again (touch wood...hey that feels good, mmm!) :pac:

Dudess

KTRIC wrote: »

Wow, Dudess hasn't posted yet. Great so



Yeah had the flu on Friday, nasty stuff, runny nose and everything. Grand now though.

No ya didn't - especially when it was only one day.

Taken from Wikipedia:

Although it is sometimes confused with the common cold, influenza is a much more severe disease and is caused by a different type of virus.

MagicMarker

Larianne wrote: »

I'm currently recovering from the flu. I was in bed all day Saturday and Sunday from it.

From here: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms.htm
Influenza usually starts suddenly and may include the following symptoms:

* Fever (usually high)
* Headache
* Tiredness (can be extreme)
* Cough
* Sore throat
* Runny or stuffy nose
* Body aches
* Diarrhea and vomiting (more common among children than adults)

I had all of the above except the last one (thank god!) Still think it will take 2 or 3 days to recover fully from it. I know I'm sick when I don't eat food.

A lot of people in work have had colds/flu in the past few weeks. I wish people wouldn't come to work when they're sick. But I can't blame them either if they don't get paid sick pay. No spit swapping involved.. unfortunately.

A bad cold maybe, 2 days in bed with the flu? Not bloody likely. More like 2 weeks.

gazzer

My dad, my granny and 2 of my aunties all got the flu in the last week. My dad fainted twice in the house and one of my aunties fainted 4 times. My dad never gets sick. He swims, runs and walks the dog every day and I have never known him to get sick. He told me that he has never felt so bad in his life. He is in bed since New Years Eve and for a man as active as he is it is weird to see.

Dudess

People really don't seem able to grasp it: yes you can have a horrendous cold lasting several days, even requiring antibiotics, but you'll still function just about. With the flu, you can't actually get out of bed - well you'll do so to go to the toilet, but only after putting it off as long as possible... and it's one hell of a struggle then.

banshee_bones

I had it very bad last new years. If i make it through January without it il be doing quite well as every january I always get the flu!
and one year i went to the doctor he gave me antibiotics,they didnt work,so then put me on steroids, they didnt work either so my friend gave me some neurofen cold and flu and bingo i was better!

but by that stage id say the flu/chest infection had just run its 5 week course on me :eek:


i think being unemployed this january is actually good for my health!!

bythewoods

Sniffle, I have a really bad cold at the moment too.
I feel absolutely crap, but yeah.. pretty sure it's only a cold

Everyone has it! My whole family have been sick, but I'm blaming my friend for infecting me tbh, that affectionate cnut!

MondaysSuck

that sounds about right. pretty much everyone at work has a cold or had one recently.

deevey

Blame faceman .. tis all his fault, the boards dont lie!!

faceman

Oh yeah, lets smudge the issue by debating the whole cold/flu issue! yizzer all guilty IMO!

robinph

banshee_bones wrote: »

I always get the flu!

Bet you don't.

banshee_bones

nooo noooo i read that list of symptoms!!!!

and living on my en suite bathroom floor for about 9 days last january pretty much confirmed that!
I couldnt afford to go to the doctor at the time, rent was due the college was closed (free doctor) so i had to suffer!

Holsten

I know five people who are all in bed sick due to this flu thingy.

I'll go mental if I catch it, hate being sick.

InkSlinger67

These figures were gained from 52 GP practices/health centres around the country reporting a two fold increase in flu-like symptoms in patients from this time last year.

I'm down with this stuff myself today. hurrraaaa-chooo!

brianthebard

brianthebard wrote: »

I don't take antibiotics for chest infections any more, it takes longer to get over it, but after the drugs you're messed up for ages anyways. At least when you don't take the drugs your immune system emerges victorious from the battle everything is back to normal and stronger for it.

ditto
ride it out
sigh

as for the statistic, i complained of having a severe cold / nearly flu over the holiday (well, for some time before it too) and found out half the office did too. as did my mother and my bf

gary the great

Ye I gots the Plague as well.

Just seems to be starting, feels like ive been in the gym all day doing squats, every muscle is feckin killing me, can hardly walk. massive headache, cant look at bright lights.Went into work this morning and had to go home by 11.

Cant wait for all this daytime tv over the next few days, Deadliest Catch et all.

fonpokno

faceman wrote: »

Who did you kiss and did you give them (knowingly to you, unknowingly to them!) the flu? Bonus point if you infected a fellow boardsie! Special prize if you name them! **


** Special prize may not be that special. Or prize-ish

I infected a boardsie! An admin in fact. Can I have a prize?

ninebeanrows

I got something too, vomiting, poo cramps, headache.

faceman

fonpokno wrote: »

I infected a boardsie! An admin in fact. Can I have a prize?

Details first!

tolosenc

Dudess wrote: »

People really don't seem able to grasp it: yes you can have a horrendous cold lasting several days, even requiring antibiotics, but you'll still function just about. With the flu, you can't actually get out of bed - well you'll do so to go to the toilet, but only after putting it off as long as possible... and it's one hell of a struggle then.

PEOPLE: LISTEN!!!

There is absolutely no difference between calling a cold the flu and the following, in which you will, of course, see the hyperbole:

My immune system feels a bit down at the minute, I reckon I have a touch of AIDS.

Eviledna

Lets not be too pedantic here either folks, I thought I had a very bad cold and tried to get over it myself, thinking "Oh a few days and I'll be grand". Hopped on the pedantic bandwagon and didn't dare call it the flu.

Finally went to the doc lastnight. A bad case of influenza with bronchitis. Doc said it would have been pnumenonia if I had left it much longer. I was needless to say surprised, as although I have spent the last week pretty ill, I thought the flu would have been more obvious. Am on antibiotics (for the bronchitis) and the works. According to the doc, if you have the flu, the brochitis aspect is extremely contageous.
So forewarned is forearmed, if you have a slight snuffle indeed it is probably not the flu, but it does not take you to be absolutely at death's door for it to be influenza either. It's a nasty dose that presents itself differently in different people.

Gerbud

Here's my trick...

Supress, supress, supress!

Nurofen X 2 every 4 hours

Don't give into it.

Hank Scorpio

had a terrible dose , only a cough now

fever mixed with extreme tireness, serious arm and chest aches also back and legs

skin was sore to being outside

eyesockets and forehead extremly painful

thank god im over it, staying in bed is the best cure

N1njapirate

About 98.987% of the checkout staff in tesco have the flu right now too..

F**king loo-laa great when you're part of the 1.013 percent that has to trudge on!

SAVE_ME.222

I never get anythin like this, just take vitamin c every day.

mental07

I've had a cough/the sniffles all week, throat was sore on and off for a couple of days too. I reckon I was, ahem, infected about a week ago....but I doubt I'd have escaped it anyway, everyone seems to have a dose of some sort!

The Gnome

SAVE_ME.222 wrote: »

I never get anythin like this, just take vitamin c every day.

In a survey of scientific studies spanning more than two decades and including more than 11,000 people, those who took 200mg of vitamin C daily had almost as many colds as those who took no supplements. The vitamin also failed to have a substantial effect on the length and severity of a person's cold.

[source]

Scarinae

I would have said I had a cold usually, but I think I really had the flu this time. Managed to struggle through work on the 30th, though I felt like I was going to faint and I was coughing like mad; went to bed that evening and was pretty much there for a week and a half. I'm still not fully recovered but I'm going back to college tomorrow because I have missed a week and I don't want to get too behind

Lady Lainy

i defiantly had the flu this year,

piercing throbbing headaches, no appetite, blocked nose, that charming bright yellow Flemish gunk from my throat as it closed up and was red raw with pain. my ears closed up, was exhausted, light sensitive. had that kinda burning sensation deep inside my nose. and coughing so much brought up blood.

i say the statistics are really a bit higher. Alot of people lost there medical cards this year and couldn't go to the doctor. I only went out desperation, i had the this flu for about 10 days, and wanted to be well for my birthday in a few days, so went to get a a general prescription just to knock it out of my system. i should have done that day one really in hine sight.

Scarinae

It was the light sensitivity that really surprised me, I had never had that before. I couldn't watch tv or use computers for more than a week, it just made my eyes ache. Basically spent the time sleeping in dark rooms, such a waste of time, I hate being sick

Piste

I have a really nasty throat thing and Im a bit shivery (no temperature though). It's not the flu but it's pretty horrible whatever it is. Feels like there's barbed wire in my throat

banshee_bones

Piste wrote: »

I have a really nasty throat thing and Im a bit shivery (no temperature though). It's not the flu but it's pretty horrible whatever it is. Feels like there's barbed wire in my throat

sounds like tonsilitis..... i hate that damned thing! chronic sufferer!

Piste

d'you think? I used to get that a bit as a kid. Hope it's not starting up again, the last thing I'd need during the LC is surgery

Scarinae

I had recurrent tonsilitis/strep throat during my second year in college. I missed about a month of college altogether, which seriously affected my marks. I had the tonsils out in June that year, haven't looked back since, never get sore throats anymore! This is the first time I've really been sick since then, and I'm in fourth year now. If you're getting tonsilitis a lot, get the buggers removed