Flu paranoia . . .

Why dont you phone in sick with flu. that way, avoiding public transport and reducing your chances of catching it. check into a hotel so you dont have to share a bed with G&T and you will be fine for christmas. Maybe jsut lonely.

To be honest, I'm terrified. I've not had a flu jab for various reasons (I'm going to ask for one while I'm at the doctors today, if there are any left) and I'm so scared I will get proper flu. I would be able to get Tamiflu but I worry I wouldn't recognise the start of symptoms in time as my lupus symptoms are often 'flu like'.

I'm also terrified of the dramatically named sickness. ?

Not just you. Every time we fly home for the weekend I always end up catching some minor sniffle or other, and I am convinced that going home for Christmas on Friday I will catch both flu and the norovirus. I might go all Korean and get a face mask...

I have to say I'd probably opt for a week of flu compared to 2 days of Norovirus, which I swear was some of the most agonising pain I've ever experienced. I'm paranoid at the first sign of stomach cramp / upset stomach.

After reading that report on fecal bacteria on other people's skin, my hand washing has reached almost OCD-like proportions.

Sadly I have less control over what I inhale. Liking Flowery's face mask idea - I have a stash at work already. ?

Oh baron you big soft arse. (or not so big now) Women give birth every day, think of the cramps they have. a bit of norovirus for a day or two is NOTHING ?

My H and son have just had the Norovirus and had stomach cramps for eight hours solid. I will get it, I always do it's just a case of waiting for it to strike now. I have a works do tonight so it will probably hit me before I go. Oh joy!!

I read yesterday that norovirus can be killed by disinfecting all touched surfaces and last night I nearly went out to buy dettol, just in case. ?

I would take norovirus over full blown flu, if I had to pick. ?

Every day? How do you cope? Your fanny must be like a wind sock. You should take a day off once in a while - perhaps not giving birth on Christmas Day and Boxing Day this year?

windsock ??

Norovirus was pretty unpleasant. I think I'd choose labour over it because you get gas and air and, although you still have a painful arse at the end of it, you get a baybeh as a souvenir rather than a bathroom covered in vomit.

I don't fancy the flu much. I must have been living in a parochial bubble here because I'd no idea it was an issue. There are lots and lots of people with nasty chest infections; we currently have a 90 year old gran in hospital with one, which is never going to be good news, and my friends' baby has it as well which isn't great as he has Down's syndrome and is more susceptible to infection. Is the flu just a London thing? Or have I really not noticed people falling like flies as I stumble through my life (like the beginning of Shaun of the Dead?)

I haven't got flu paranoia (I don't use public transport you see) but I have a feeling that I'll get some lurgy as soon as I finish work next tuesday. I've only had a very minor cold this year but as I had pleurisy last year I think I deserve a few years of not being ill at all.

I'm training Master I to be like me, he's avoided the sick virus thing that most of his class have had.

Does Pans have babies like the one from Fringe (JJ Abrahms), which grow in less than an hour if she gives birth every day? ? (Baron may be the only one who gets this or I'll just look like the dullard who watches too much tv.... ?)

PL - Only click if you want to be whipped into a paranoid state. ?

H has flu and I'm surrounded by ear infections/sneezing/dodgy tummy people at work

I'm a temp I don't get paid to be ill (I have a sniffle but nothing worse yet) and I certainly don't want to be ill over christmas, so far I have had 2 clementines, a berocca, a lemsip and am washing my hands all the time

My H said to me yesterday that he thought he was going to get ill after christmas just when he's got a few days off before going back to work as that is when he is always sick. I told him not to be so paranoid! <unsympathetic wife icon needed>

Skittalie, in your case, I might be inclinded to take 1g of vitamin c every couple of hours to try and ward it off. Berrocca has 476mg per dose which I think you just take once a day? I hope you manage to stay flu free.

Well, I have finally succumbed to a horrible cold (def not flu) just in time to miss our work Christmas party tonight ☹️

It's true though, one does build up a certain amount of immune-system-related hubris ?

I think I might have had the flu ? temp was up at 39.2 on Sunday night and I've felt like death - not a lot of fun with 2 children under 3, including a 5 week old baby to look after. Feeling a little bit better today but think YMR Mk1 might be coming down with it.

Don't fancy norovirus either with 2 littlies in the house. Although I think I might be able to relate to the pain already. Try giving birth to a 7 and a half pound baby with no drugs ?

I've been ill for about 3 weeks now. Ear infection first, mini cold and now big cold and cough. I don't think it helps that, everytime I feel a bit better, I go out and get lashed. Still, it's not flu and I can live with it as long as it's gone by Christmas Eve.

We've done norovirus - deep joy - from my work, I think.

Now the world and his wife are consulting me with flu. Thanks. I am 99% alcohol handwash now.

As I have developed a chronic illness this year, I am now 'high risk' and didn't manage to get my flu jab until late. So now I am just waiting to go down with it ?

Mrs Magic - norovirus can also be aerosolised by vomiting, so stay away from vomiters too. Hand them a dettol soaked wipe to clean up after themselves.

I've had my flu jab this morning, my gp had some in the fridge when I was there routinely this morning! I just hope it works and doesn't make me poorly as it has done in the past. <fingers crossed icon>

Thanks Zoay, I'll bear that in mind! My mum had norovirus last year and I managed to avoid it, although she was in bed for a few days and I only went in to give her drinks etc, I tried not to linger. I have heard that people with lupus can have more immnunity than you would think to bugs as immune system is too busy attacking itself, although I don't know if that still stands on immunosuppressants!

I have flu paranoia. i can see me catching it and ruining christmas.

I am not sure how I can avoid being ill over Christmas as both H and the baybeh have got chest and throat infections plus a cold and are on antibiotics. I will be amazed if I don't come down with anything.

I've never had flu, and I read somewhere you average an incident once every 7 years, so I am pretty in debit! I am very scared of getting it, MrH doesn't look after me properly when I'm ill.

Mind you, I wouldn't worry about catching it unless I had been around someone who had gone on to hacve it.

Fark me. I'd managed to put aside my 'flu paranoia yesterday and not get a 'flu jab. I can't afford the jab making me feel ill, and after hearing some of your stories, and having a quick google, it is very likely I'll feel crap for anything from 1 day to weeks (Mr P was sick for weeks after getting one, so he'll never have one again)

Now I'm all paranoid again, and think I may too have to go down the Asian route of getting a mask for the flight tomorrow. Although if push came to shove, I couldn't wear one! How would I drink the champagne through a mask?! ?

Jokes aside. I'm actually really fearful of getting something again. Mind you, I know why I did last time .. 99% my fault ?

It's possible to feel ill after the jab Peaches but definitely not 'very likely'.

The chances of someone one the flight having flu is mimimal, given the worst of the outbreak is in the uk. Even going the other way it's still minimal really.

Keep your distance from people with flu and you should be fine, especially as you aren't 'at risk'.

Does anyone else work out who gave them the lurgy and then become filled with inner rage about them?

My mum told me years ago that it takes about 3 days to develop a cold. so you can work backwards, which is what she always does and now I've developed the habit too which is annoying

Like I came down with a cold last night, which is not ideal when you're trying to do Christmas without much help from husband who's working long hours and a 2 yr old and 9 week old.

I have worked out who gave it to me and I'm right off them ? Oh and do you find it's always the same people that give you colds? We got the flu (proper flu, not a cold) from the same people last Christmas - my 1 year old at the time had a miserable time and then we got it for new year, totally wrecking all the planned celebrations. I think they must be Lurg Peddlers. Gits ?

Well I've got it, well maybe a bad cold rather than the flu, but it's still not pleasant. Although I have got a fever and the shakes and keep getting dizzy spells so it isn't just a normal cold for me. I'm dosing myself up with painkillers and keeping my fingers crossed that it doens't turn into a chest infection, as that would be my third this year if it does.

Worst thing is I have had to carry on working, so have been carrying on despite the fact that I shouldn't really be around people. I have told my boss I'm ill but I have no time to rearrange before xmas, so I've trained 35 people today. Poor sods.

Not surprising seen as my job involves me going in and out of hospitals and they seem to be riddled with coughing and sneezing people at the minute. I'm slightly paranoid about norovirus and have been dousing myself in alcohol hand wash, but it doesn't appear to have helped with the cold.

I hate Noro season. I have an extreme phobia of it, and have full OCD hand washing.

And today someone was off work with similar symptoms and I'm in full panic mode, in case they return too early and give every one else it (I'm hoping they just wanted a duvet day tho)

I've <touch wood> never had noro or flu as an adult. May have done as a child but don't remember. I tend to get much milder forms of illnesses than other people anyway, a cold that will have MrSC feeling rough for a couple of weeks and off work a couple of days will last a week in me and no time off work. In fact I remember feeling remarkably healthy when I had mumps age 6 or 7 and sitting out in the garden reading.

Edited because it posted too soon! Meant to add, I do however always manage to be ill at Christmas. And it must be my turn for flu/noro some time...

I am so terrified of getting the norovirus as I am certain I will end up in hospital on a drip, I keep feeling terrified I am going to be ill over Christmas, I had the flu jab for the first time this year, so I am a little less concerned about getting that.

I am tempted to cancel all plans and stay looked up inside, I see everyone as a potential disease and have probably been culled from any village social events as I refused to allow Ned's friend come over, he has had 'chicken pox' and is apparently over the infectious stage, but there was no way I was risking it, I have already had chicken pox at least twice. Poxy's mum threw me the most disgusted look when I said I couldn't invite her in because we didn't want to catch anything.