Latest type of flu??

ArchXStanton

Cherrycola wrote: »

Well I’m currently laid up with something worse than a cold but not what I would regard as flu. I can usually function with a cold, but this has me wiped out, no appetite, sore throat, cough, itchy eyes, headache, breathlessness and a weird rash that I always get with a virus! (Like the way babies get a viral rash, apparently my gran also used to come out in a rash too, very strange)
So it’s a pretty strong ‘cold’ that’s going round anyway, even if it’s not flu, it’s still enough to drain most people and leave them bed ridden for a few days.
I’m sure a virus of any sort affects different people in different ways, depending on individual immune systems and general health.

I don't know what the hell I have, it isn't a flu, cold or sinus infection, doctor reckons it's a virus , the only thing giving me any kind of relief is eating raw garlic *puke

Titzon Toast

I'm only getting over it here myself. Worst dose I've had in years.

Ms2011

Quigs Snr wrote: »

9 out of 11 who were at my house xmas day have come down with this since (4 kids and 5 adults) . We had one wiped out sick kid on the day.. no interest in food, presents etc... just high temperature, no appetite, sleeping etc...

4 of the 9 affected have ended up with secondary chest infections.

1 (a 3 year old) was rushed to hospital today.

Only 2 unaffected were me and the wife. We were also the only 2 who had the flu vaccine.

Co-incidence ? Maybe. But looks like flu to me.

Sound very similar to what happened in our house.
7 year old came down with it first on Christmas Eve, burning up , no energy or appetite with a headache. Started getting sick that night & all Christmas and Stephen's Day only really feeling himself today.
Husband came down with the same minus the vomiting on Christmas Day, didn't get out of bed Stephen's Day, still suffering with aches & pains and a cough with no appetite.
4 year old went down with a high temperature on Stephen's Day, no energy or appetite and still coughing now.
I ran out of Calpol & Nurofen twice.
I some how managed to escape it (so far), ironic as I have an autoimmune disease & am supposed to get the flu infection but didn't.

Larbre34

I had some sort of virus the other week, fever, chills, cough, throat, took a day off midweek to try to sweat it and did, felt a bit crap for 10 days after.

How do I know it was a common or garden virus? Because two years ago this month, I caught the Flu. Influenza H1N1 or whatever it was that year. And I shall never forget it. I'm 40ish and fit with good general health, but that bastard effed me for a fortnight at home and it took me a full 4 months to recover my usual energy levels and cognition. The lethargy and depression on the back of it was frankly scary.

So, I've had viruses since, no big deal, you may have one now and think it's the flu, but it isn't. If it's real flu, you probably can't even think and you're likely hallucinating.

Me, I get the jab. It won't stop you getting random viruses, but I'll do anything to avoid influenza again.

happywithlife

Just reading through the thread and almost every poster who had what they consider the real flu' advocate getting the vaccine subsequently. Just an interesting observation

iamwhoiam

happywithlife wrote: »

Just reading through the thread and almost every poster who had what they consider the real flu' advocate getting the vaccine subsequently. Just an interesting observation

I got the vaccine a week before I was struck down . I left it too late this year so will be sure to get it as soon as it’s released next year .

Professor Moriarty

iamwhoiam wrote: »

I got the vaccine a week before I was struck down . I left it too late this year so will be sure to get it as soon as it’s released next year .

Unfortunately, it takes two weeks before it is fully effective.

iamwhoiam

Professor Moriarty wrote: »

Unfortunately, it takes two weeks before it is fully effective.

I was stupid . My husband got the vaccine the same day and seems to be the last man standing , maybe he got lucky

Badly Drunk Boy

I'm not well at the moment but it's not the flu, even though there are some flu-like symptoms. It's really a chest infection with very intermittent manic coughing fits, and less worrying and less frequent sneezing fits. Movement seems to set off the coughing, so I'm trying not to do that.

I came in to work today, but I've minimal contact with people, especially if I chose to, and a lot of people are off until Monday anyway. At the moment I'm supping away at a Lemsip Max, with one of those effervescent electrolyte tablets thrown in, with a slash of ginger to give it a kick.

Raconteuse

happywithlife wrote: »

Just reading through the thread and almost every poster who had what they consider the real flu' advocate getting the vaccine subsequently. Just an interesting observation

Is it not a logical consequence though?

Motivator

I’ve been battling this flu for a couple of weeks now and it’s safe to say that for 36 years I didn’t know what the flu actually was. Every time I had a runny nose or bad cough I’d call it the flu, never again. What this has done to me is nothing short of unbelievable.

My entire system and body has been shut down by it. I haven’t eaten anything substantial in almost a week and the only time I’ve been out of the house was to go to the in laws for New Years Eve for an hour. What I don’t appreciate is this carry on from people about “Man Flu”. I never appreciated the snide remarks from the wife’s friends about “Man Flu” and I certainly don’t appreciate them now. There’s a lot of sick people around the country with this strain of flu, is there a reason this is a particularly bad year for it this year? I didn’t get the flu jab by the way but I’m certainly getting it next year.

Martina1991

Motivator wrote:

Every time I had a runny nose or bad cough Id call it the flu , never again. What this has done to me is nothing short of unbelievable...What I dont appreciate is this carry on from people about Man Flu. I never appreciated the snide remarks from the wifes friends about Man Flu and I certainly dont appreciate them now.

But you previously calling a bad cold the flu has caused a "Boy who cried wolf" scenario where only now you understand what the flu is.

Hamsterchops

People say they have the flu, when they obviously haven't, specially if they're up & about...

Martina1991

In Ireland we look to Australia, who have their winter during our summer, to try and predict how bad our flu season will be.

This year was Australias worst year for flu cases and it hit early. Thats why the flu vaccine was out early this year. I got it in October. The warning signs were there and it has hit Ireland just as hard.

iamwhoiam

Hamsterchops wrote: »

People say they have the flu, when they obviously haven't, specially if they're up & about...

Some might not have flu , many actually do .

FBWT

Just got sent home from work. Don't think I have the flu but this head-cold/cough I have has been with me 3 weeks I just can't shake it. One day I'll have a cough, another a sore throat and the next I'm all stuffed up. I'll be making another pitstop in the chemist on the way home and maybe schedule a visit to the doc is the pharmacy reckons I need to.... I'm flipping bate from it now!

ollkiller

FBWT wrote: »

Just got sent home from work. Don't think I have the flu but this head-cold/cough I have has been with me 3 weeks I just can't shake it. One day I'll have a cough, another a sore throat and the next I'm all stuffed up. I'll be making another pitstop in the chemist on the way home and maybe schedule a visit to the doc is the pharmacy reckons I need to.... I'm flipping bate from it now!

I had it for three weeks as well before christmas and just bit the bullet and got antibiotics to kick it. It just wouldn't go away. Antibiotics did the job.

Last time i got the flu was 7 years ago. had to go on steroids to kick it. If you're not sure if you have the flu then you defo do not have the flu.

Quigs Snr

Quigs Snr wrote: »

9 out of 11 who were at my house xmas day have come down with this since (4 kids and 5 adults) . We had one wiped out sick kid on the day.. no interest in food, presents etc... just high temperature, no appetite, sleeping etc...

4 of the 9 affected have ended up with secondary chest infections.

1 (a 3 year old) was rushed to hospital today.

Only 2 unaffected were me and the wife. We were also the only 2 who had the flu vaccine.

Co-incidence ? Maybe. But looks like flu to me.

Confirmed today by the hospital in Waterford for the toddler that was admitted yesterday, some variant of AH3 Flu.

Martina1991

Quigs Snr wrote: »

Confirmed today by the hospital in Waterford for the toddler that was admitted yesterday, some variant of AH3 Flu.

That strain was covered by the vaccine this year.

ldy4mxonucwsq6

Martina1991 wrote: »

That strain was covered by the vaccine this year.

Yeah but the vaccine is usually recommended for 'at risk' groups - people who are elderly or have an underlying health condition or work in healthcare.

Should everyone be getting it? To be honest I've never thought of getting it for any of the family because we don't fall into the 'at risk' category.

Martina1991

Lydia Modern Hairstyle wrote: »

Yeah but the vaccine is usually recommended for 'at risk' groups - people who are elderly or have an underlying health condition or work in healthcare.

Should everyone be getting it? To be honest I've never thought of getting it for any of the family because we don't fall into the 'at risk' category.

Everyone who doesn't want to get the flu should get the vaccine, unless you are taking medication that may interact with it or have had an allergic reaction to it before.

The people in the "at risk" groups are strongly encouraged to get it as they are the most vulnerable.

The vaccine is free if you have a medical card or work in healthcare. Some workplaces offer it for free to their employees as well. Otherwise its around €20 in the pharmacy.

jiltloop

mojesius wrote: »

Got a dose yesterday morning, thought it was just a cold but then again hadn't been doing much activity at all. Agree with symptoms, Not much phlegm, infrequent cough, aching limbs, weak, cold sweats the odd time. Husband was off work so mostly looked after our toddler while I rested (thank god). Went for a short walk today to get a bit of fresh air and felt like I was going to keel over towards the end.

Spent new year's in bed, just went down to living room to count it down with husband and back to bed. Had the flu jab so thought I was fairly safe.

2020 will be healthier! Strange dose going around.

If you had the flu you wouldn't have been able to go out for even a short walk, in fact going downstairs for the countdown would have been an enormous struggle.

odyssey06

jiltloop wrote: »

If you had the flu you wouldn't have been able to go out for even a short walk, in fact going downstairs for the countdown would have been an enormous struggle.

People keep posting that and most of the time isnt broadly correct but it is not accurate.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/03/17/290878964/even-if-you-dont-have-symptoms-you-may-still-have-the-flu

rob316

Got a horrible dose of it, didnt move from the bed 25th,26th,27th and 28th. Wife got it too and kid, ruined Xmas it did. Worst sickness I ever get is a head cold.

Quigs Snr

... for those saying that it is not the flu :

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/not-too-late-to-get-vaccinated-as-hse-warns-flue-season-to-last-five-more-weeks-38830258.html

Arghus

Don't know if it's the flu, but I've had some type of cold thingy for about a month. Started off with pains in the bones and complete lethargy, morphed into snot, sneezing, sore throat and a cough that sounded like metal being torn apart and it's still kind of lingering after about four weeks. Still fairly chesty, which is very unusual for me. Other people in work have been complaining of similar.

Hamsterchops

How much time off work?

iamwhoiam

odyssey06 wrote: »

People keep posting that and most of the time isnt broadly correct but it is not accurate.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/03/17/290878964/even-if-you-dont-have-symptoms-you-may-still-have-the-flu

Not only is it not correct but also dangerous . People should be aware of flu symptoms and not think because they can walk they are not spreading the flu .

blue note

iamwhoiam wrote: »

Not only is it not correct but also dangerous . People should be aware of flu symptoms and not think because they can walk they are not spreading the flu .

Yep, people can think it's just a cold, I'll be grand going to visit my elderly aunt.

I even heard a doctor pedalling it on (I think it was) Matt cooper. I'd like to say he's the professional, I'm sure he's right, but when you read of the study someone quoted earlier in the thread, or even when I think of people I know who were sick but didnt stop working and found out they had the flu from blood tests, it's clearly nonsense that you need to be floored for it to be flu.

Turkish1

Got a dose of it about 6 weeks back. Started with the sweats/shaking early Tuesday afternoon in work, shaking became so bad I had to get taxi home as couldn't drive safely.

Home to bed and literally stayed there until the Saturday morning, (excluding the bathroom - literally crawling there at one point) I didn't leave the bed until Saturday morning.

Sweating was so severe that I fell asleep with phone on my chest and when my wife woke me it had water damage 😣. Also had to lay towels under me in bed.

No food between the Tuesday morning until Friday evening when I managed to force down about half a slice of toast.

Even after making it downstairs briefly on the Saturday it took me another 3/4, days to feel in anyway normal again but took a couple weeks before the energy and appetite came fully back.

The worst dose I can recall having and will be getting the vaccine next year.

On the bright side, great for a pre Christmas bit if weight loss.