A student mentioned to me last week that she had recently come down with Covid. The home test I took last night is positive. The man I had a meeting with yesterday had mentioned he had it at the beginning of December.
Between the flu, colds and constantly being hoarse, it‘s been a long bout of feeling poorly for many.
Had a chat with my GP, in Geneva, last week. Covid is behind last year but lower hospitalisations. Flu is way up, higher hospitalisations and deaths. Few, if any, of those are people who received this years flu jab. Colds are up as well and are lingering a lot longer.
I have a cold and it is dragging on. I get funny looks when I wear my mask.
I think it’s difficult to know the exact numbers for covid as nobody is testing anymore. I suspect there are a lot more cases than are reported but most people just treat it as a seasonal respiratory virus like the flu.
It’s only serious cases which are being reported.
A friend of mine just got out of hospital having had a bad bout of Covid. She’d had Covid before, back when it was at its height, and it just laid her up at home for a week or so - nothing serious.
She had been fully vaxxed (I guess it only has a certain length of effectiveness, though?).
This recent bout attacked her respiratory system really badly and she was on oxygen for a few days. She’s not old (40 with young kids) and she’s fit with no health complications.
It’s still a nasty shitty bug that seems to be here to stay.
The Swiss gov stats are still published. The available data shows that measured cases are going down after a peak last October. Of course, this is the national average, specific regions or even cities may have a different trend:
Agreed but Covid is still highly contagious.
Question: if you have just found out you are suffering from Covid, do you warn those you have been in close vicinity with? I did simply because I felt they had a right to know.
I believe the Covid jab is offered along with the same autumnal inoculation rounds as the flu jab every year. Certainly GP’s in the UK and Spain advise their patients by email when it’s available where the injections are carried out at a local chemist or pharmacist in the UK whereas in Spain it’s done at the GP practice or Centro de Salud. In the UK the flu jab tends to be for the over 65’s although for Covid it’s for all adults.
Which it is by now. Probably more harmless if by flu you mean influenza.
Why again? It didn’t leave since 2020. I stopped doing self tests after 3 confirmed COVID infections between 2022 and 2024, because I was bored and lost interest to testing. Probably I could have collected 2 or 3 positive tests more since then.
Although flu itself isn’t harmless - especially in older people.
Sure, that is what I meant. Flu is worse and if anything people should get vaccinated against influenza.
Exactly, flu is just as dangerous for people who are at risk as Covid is.
Most people just feel crappy for a while until they get over it.
Our son has had a horrible cold for a few days, it may be covid for all we know but he hasn’t done a test. He’ll do home office for at least the first couple of days this week to avoid passing it on to his colleagues but that’s the sensible thing to do anyway for anyone who has that option. He does work from home three days a week anyway.
Reportedly it’s possible now to test for long covid with a simple finger prick sent by mail, say the test developers.
This should be taken with more than just a grain of salt as a full clinical trial is yet to be conducted.
Yes, I think that’s sensible.
I had a stonking cold before Xmas but I didn’t bother testing for Covid. I just WFH till I was better. Not even sure you can get hold of Covid tests any more.
You can and they are quite reasonable in price. The box I have was priced at SFr. 8.50.
The last box I bought was 50rp (it had a month left before it expired and even then these things don’t stop being accurate the day they expire -especially if kept in optimum conditions).
Last summer I had COVID it was worse than any flu I have ever had and I really want to avoid it again by avoiding family members who have obvious symptoms.
The problem is my kids refuse the tests as they deem them too unpleasant.
Is there any list of what currently distinguishes one’s symptoms between Covid, influenza and the common cold? And when one should see a doctor?
I had a terrible cough, runny nose and sneezing for a good two weeks, but I figured it was a cold. The cough is still lingering. My hubby - who never gets sick - has been down for four days with moderately high fever, sore throat, cough, and severe headache. Whatever he has, I don’t want it!
It depends. I usually get teary-eyed, major runny nose, a cough and fatigue. I’ve had a fever in the past.
This time, I lost my sense of taste a bit but had no fever. Feeling better by the hour.
Hubby has Covid last week, loss of smell and taste, some coughing and feeling really tired. We had some tests left and it was positive so he stayed home.
In my experience (so take it with a pinch of salt), a cold starts slowly - with a vague feeling of un-wellness - perhaps with a runny nose.
Flu tends to start rapidly with a fever, or sometimes overnight.
As for seeing a doctor:
The other month one of my kids had a fever but what made me take him to the doctor was the incredible tiredness he was experiencing for a few days which I never seen in him when he had flu.
I was worried it was something really serious but was hoping for what I suspected - glandular fever (mono).
A blood test confirmed glandular fever.
A fever over 39’C or breathing difficulties, or severe dehydration would, for me, mean a hospital or urgent doctor visit.
It’s not the actual flu which ends up hospitalising people but the secondary infections such as pneumonia.