Flu admissions are up

Lomo123

My daughter works in a large hospital she said there are several wards full of people with flu. The staff were instructed to wear masks today.

Can I ask which hospital please?
Or if you would rahter not say, which part of the Uk?

LaCrepescule

Are you serious - get everyone to wear masks again? Get vaccinated and just get on with it. I don’t know a single person who’s had flu so far and I have a big social circle.

I am the same as regards your last sentence.
Makes me wonder where all these people are supposed to be.

When I wrote this earlier upthread, I was expecting a whole help of people to come on and say they knew however many of people with it.
But they havent.

So I am carrying on wondering what is actually happening?

Seabreeze

Hi Ladies sorry to barge in but I need to start up a new thread and can’t see where to do it. Can anyone help. Thanks.

Look at the top right hand corner of the screen is a little arrow, click on this and a menu will be revealed on it is ‘start a new discussion’ just click on this
Xx

Hi Ladies sorry to barge in but I need to start up a new thread and can’t see where to do it. Can anyone help. Thanks.

I can never recall which "Big Virus" type things have been around since I was born (1953) - but do recall there has been 4 or 5 of them in my lifetime (not including Covid).

There was no Big Panic/Lockdown/"you vill wear masks" stuff for any of the ones previous to Covid. I was never aware/none of us were aware of the previous ones. But what we do know is they were all prior to the Internet being here and widespread. Hmmmmm..........and in other words the Government had nothing they could do - as we couldnt be told "lock yourselves indoors etc" as happened with Covid.

Most odd to call "pro freedom" the misnomer of "pro plague".

If anyone wishes to wear masks = that is entirely up to them obviously. If they wish people to be restricted - then it is entirely up to them (ie to restrict themselves - as they are the ones that want restrictions).

If they do decide to buy masks and want more than those blue flimsy paper ones - they're not that dear. The more expensive type can be bought for less than £1 each (assuming buying a large pack from Amazon). £1 per day they choose to go out = £7 per week if they choose to go out every day.

Mollygo

Thats really funny CA.🤣🤣🤣
You giving a verbal kick to people who wore the masks they could afford because you didn’t approve of them.

You didn’t own a mask back then? How did you avoid spreading your germs?

There are a lot of pro plague people around. Something I had never appreciated until 2020.

sparkynan

Wearing a mask will not protect you from flu as the droplets from a sneeze or cough can enter via the eye. The only good thing about masks is, it stops you spreading germs.
I personally would hate to have to wear masks all the time like during Covid times
I had several vaccinations for Covid and wore masks but still caught covid 4 times over 3 years.

That is simply not very likely.

SueDonim

My medic dd warned us yesterday to be careful about flu as the numbers in A&E have ‘exploded’ this week, according to her. She said flu jabs and hand washing/sanitiser are the best deterrent. The evidence for masks is quite poor but it seems that a mask helps stop the spread if you have flu but doesn’t prevent one from being infected.

I’m a bit worried now as we were in a hot and stuffy primary school environment yesterday and my Dh is vulnerable. No one there seemed ill, to be fair.

The evidence for masks is not poor. You need FFP2 or ideally FFP3 masks though. They need to be worn correctly. Rooms need to be ventilated, or the air needs to be cleaned with HEPA filters. It's basic physics.

I doubt that wearing masks is all that effective.

In my opinion, people should be encouraged to be vaccinated, to wash their hands more frequently - every time they blow their nose, for instance, or come home from shopping, and not to "chance it" and go out amongst others if you suspect that you may be coming down with a cold, or the flu.

Increasing standards of ordinary household cleanliness would help too, How many of us wash floors once a week, clean door handles, or wash bedlinen on the hottest cycle?

For years we have been told that we protect the environment by washing clothes on the cooler, shorter cycles that use least energy and water, but if doing so increases the risk of infectious diseases spreading, is it really such a good idea?

Why can't you wear a mask?

BlueBelle

I m afraid I would never go back to wearing useless masks

Is that because you can afford the better ones or would you just not wear a mask?

I m afraid I would never go back to wearing useless masks

Had the jab, got the flu that was awful, but could have been worse if I wasn’t jabbed.

The articles I've read about this is also stating the reasons for A&E being overwhelmed is also due to time wasters going to A&E with things that can be dealt with at home, by a GP, or via 111. These time wasters should be either sent home with a flea in their ear or charged for wasting time.

I wonder if it's because the age available has quietly risen to 65. I got challenged today when I went for mine I'm 63 but have other eligibility so not an issue for me. But the pharmacist said they're having to turn people away or charge them. I'm interested to see if being back in offices and the rising retirement age changes the stats too.

I don’t dispute the value of extra thick masks, only the cost.
I still think that any mask, used and binned, is better than no mask and definitely offers more protection than those who refused to wear a mask at all.
My only experience of the FFP3 masks, which we wore to travel just after COVID was that we got Covid whilst we were in Switzerland. After that experience, I went back to the cheaper ones.

All through the pandemic I wore less expensive masks, worked in school with the children of “essential workers” and didn’t get Covid.

How do posters view parents living below the poverty line being expected to use expensive masks.
Should they feel guilty for not doing their best to protect themselves and others or is it OK for them just to use the cheaper ones?

I have had a nasty cold this past week and am still coughing. As my DS,DIL and 2DGD's have had flu, which they think they caught at a birthday party, (transpires that the Dad was already ill and went to bed for two days later) I went out to get them Calpol, paracetamol and some other bit and pieces. I wore a mask and actually had one woman say she did the same the previous week. If everyone did the same, it may help the spread. Why the ill person at the party attended I just do not know.

My BIL rang up tonight and he is very poorly with runny nose and dreadful cough. He had the flu jab and the one for over 75’s some time ago.

We are trying to keep away from busy places as our son starts chemo soon and his immune system will be weak.

I’ve been sniffling for past 4 days and have earache especially right side. My flu jab is due on the 11th 😫
I think mine is a virus and abs won’t help - I will check with Doctor on Monday

Plevey08

The World Health Organisation says wearing a mask will not protect you. It has to be 3 layers thick and cover the mouth, nose and chin. Hand washing is vital especially when you get home. Most people do not wash and dry their hands properly. It should be done for 20 seconds minimum with soap and hot water starting with the wrists, working your way down in between fingers, backs of hands in hot water. Equally important is thoroughly drying hands. Most do not do anything like that.

So they say
All I know is that 2 sisters in law and I travelled together to the S of France by Eurostar and TGV in August.
A man sitting near me on the €* coughed most of his way to Paris.
I went down with Covid the day before came home, 1 sister in law went down a couple of days after me but the third, who lives in London and always wears a mask on public transport because she has bronchiectasis didn't get it despite proximity on the trains and in cars during most of the week.
Anecdotal, maybe but my experience.

In the late 50s I was a student nurse. My grandfather and many many more died from Asian flu. I got it and was very ill in the nurses' ward, as were others. It wss a very dangerous flu, and I don't think there was a vaccine.

RinseAndRepeat

I respectfully beg to differ:

‘FFP2 masks offer strong protection against influenza and other respiratory viruses by filtering out at least 94% of airborne particles, including infectious droplets and aerosols, making them highly recommended for healthcare workers, vulnerable individuals, or during high transmission periods….’

We also reduce the risk further by using NoriZite Nasal Spray.
Laboratory studies have showed that the NoriZite™ formulation can block the SARS-CoV-2 infection of cells, in culture. The research confirmed the complete inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection for up to 48 hours. NoriZite Spray is a product developed by Birmingham University.

Yes masks do help protect those around us from anything they may have and protects others from anything that the wearer may have. I completely agree with your statement on the higher quality masks and the new nasal spray and as another poster mentioned, I'd rather be around people in closed spaces who are wearing masks than not.

My daughter works in a large hospital she said there are several wards full of people with flu. The staff were instructed to wear masks today.

Thats really funny CA.🤣🤣🤣
You giving a verbal kick to people who wore the masks they could afford because you didn’t approve of them.

You didn’t own a mask back then? How did you avoid spreading your germs?

Mollygo

CariadAgain

I expect there'll be a lot of people in those "token masks" again - ie the flimsy no better than paper ones - though I wondered back when whether it was to "demonstrate obedience" or they honestly thought they served a practical purpose.

As you can imagine - my thoughts were pretty unprintable either way.

How lucky you are CariadAgain that you can afford the more expensive masks.

It sounds as if you think anyone who can’t afford them should stay at home under lockdown.
Personally if thats all they can afford, I’d rather people wore some face covering to retain some of their germs and binned them after use than wear nothing except . . .
Maybe a lanyard?

Any excuse to mis-read what someone puts I guess....

I didn't own a mask back when and won't now.

As for "putting words into someone's mouth" - Nope I don't say/have never said anyone should stay at home ever. It's their life and not mine and their decision and not mine as to whether they go out.

But don't let that stop you trying to find a way to give a verbal kick to someone who doesnt deserve it - and is too nice to do that to you.