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

faceman · 05-01-2009 02:27PM #1

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 · 05-01-2009 02:29PM

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 · 05-01-2009 02:30PM

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 · 05-01-2009 02:32PM

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 · 05-01-2009 02:32PM

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 · 05-01-2009 02:38PM

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 · 05-01-2009 02:38PM

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 · 05-01-2009 02:40PM

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 · 05-01-2009 02:41PM

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 · 05-01-2009 02:46PM

12% of Irelands population sneezed last week.

KTRIC · 05-01-2009 02:48PM

Wow, Dudess hasn't posted yet. Great so

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

Larianne · 05-01-2009 02:48PM

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 · 05-01-2009 02:52PM

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

ejmaztec · 05-01-2009 02:53PM

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 · 05-01-2009 03:07PM

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

AckwelFoley · 05-01-2009 03:10PM

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

brianthebard · 05-01-2009 03:15PM

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 · 05-01-2009 03:19PM

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 · 05-01-2009 03:51PM

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 · 05-01-2009 03:55PM

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 · 05-01-2009 03:58PM

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 · 05-01-2009 04:02PM

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 · 05-01-2009 04:04PM

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 · 05-01-2009 04:09PM

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 · 05-01-2009 04:10PM

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

deevey · 05-01-2009 04:11PM

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

faceman · 05-01-2009 04:52PM

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

robinph · 05-01-2009 04:57PM

banshee_bones wrote: »

I always get the flu!

Bet you don't.

banshee_bones · 05-01-2009 06:26PM

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 · 05-01-2009 06:31PM

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 · 05-01-2009 06:49PM

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!

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

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