The welcoming news is that we are fast approaching the end of Winter and have Spring to look forward to which usually lifts everyone’s spirits. Before Winter even began we had the NHS crisis messages indicating that hospitals were full and overflowing due to patients suffering from flu. The crisis message has been an annual event for at least the last 20 years but this year the panic set in before Winter had even begun with concerns over how the NHS would cope with spiralling numbers of flu cases. Inevitably, the number of cases subsided, and the press were no longer interested in reporting on the falling number of flu cases.
A repeated message during this period is usually advising people not to attend hospital if they only have symptoms of a cold or mild flu. While a cold can certainly be an irritation, it is usually treatable by self-medication – rest, stay warm, drink plenty of fluids, lots of tissues and take suitable painkillers, flu is a different matter altogether. To quote the old adage, how do you tell if someone has a cold or the flu, throw a £20 note on the floor, if the person has a cold they will pick it up, if they have the flu they will not even be able to think about picking it up. I would not suggest using this to diagnose cold or flu but the sentiment highlights the difference in how someone would feel if they had the flu. Not all flu cases require hospitalisation as like a cold, it can be self-treated like a cold (although typically takes much longer) but for anyone who is vulnerable or has an immune deficiency, it is important to seek medical advice quickly as the flu can be quite debilitating.
Colds and Flu spread in a similar manner often by coming into contact with germs spread by coughs and sneezes which land on surfaces. After touching infected surfaces, the germs are spread by then touching your eyes or nose, a common trait we all have. Inevitably, such germs are more common where there are gatherings of people i.e. public transport, shops, pubs, sports events where germs can spread easily. Not everyone will catch a cold or flu from the same strain of germs as it will depend on each individual’s immune system. Usually if your immune system has previously come across the cold or flu strain, it will be in a much better position to overcome the germs or at least reduce their impact. While avoidance of crowds would reduce the likelihood of catching a cold or flu, for most people it is not practical, or desirable, to remain locked away in isolation.
The flu jab is available to certain groups of the population mainly the elderly, carers, those with long term medical conditions, women who are pregnant and those with weakened immune systems. The flu jab reduces the possibility of catching the flu and if you do catch it, the impact should be less severe, although it does not prevent you from catching a cold. It is recommended by the NHS that should you be in one of their specified categories, you accept the jab.
Should you have a cold or flu and feel the need to get medical advice, the next issue is being able to get a GP appointment these days. This can be difficult depending on the area you live in and the surgery you are registered to. An alternative is now available to employees whose employer has a group risk policy in place, group life assurance or group income protection, as most of these policies now come with free access to a virtual GP for employees and their family to use. In most cases this will allow employees, or their family, to book a video appointment quickly with a GP and be diagnosed and a prescription provided or referred to a specialist if necessary.
As we head out of Winter the good news is that colds and flu are much less prevalent in the warmer weather as the viruses don’t spread as easily and we spend more time outdoors. Let us hope we get some drier warmer weather to allow us to do so.
