Staying healthy during cold and flu season

As we move from autumn to winter, many of us will start to develop the familiar but unwelcome symptoms of cold and flu. 

Because we spend more time indoors, in close proximity to one another, these illnesses can spread quickly through communities whether that is in workplaces, schools, shopping centres or cinemas. 

The burden of these illnesses on both individuals and society is high as it is estimated that people in the UK experience 2-3 episodes of these illnesses every year, resulting in time off work and increased need to access healthcare. 

These infections are spread by virus-containing droplets of the mucous from an infected person. These droplets may be airborne when they have been produced by a cough or sneeze, or they may be on the surface of something that an infected person has touched.

There are many different viruses that cause these symptoms and, without performing specific tests, it is impossible to know which virus is causing the illness. Knowing which virus is causing the illness is usually not very important as the way to avoid them, and the way to treat them, is essentially the same. 

Cold

Most of these infections are just described as ‘colds’ and cause symptoms like:

• Runny nose
• Cough
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Mild tiredness

Usually, they are mild illnesses and they are most commonly caused by viruses like rhinoviruses (of which there are at least 165 different types), but may be caused by a range of other viruses including types of coronavirus.

Flu

We call the illness ‘flu’ when it is specifically caused by the influenza virus. 

Influenza spreads in the UK (and elsewhere in the world) every winter. The virus constantly mutates so that each year there is a slightly different strain in circulation. It can be mild but it tends to cause a more severe illness than other cold viruses with:

• High fever and muscle aches
• Runny nose
• Sore throat and cough
• Headache
• Fatigue
  

In some people, particularly those who are elderly or vulnerable, flu can cause a serious, life threatening illness, and about 13,500 people die from flu in the UK each year. 

In the winter of 2017/18 the number was as high as 22,500 which was the worst death toll in recent years.

Occasionally a strain of flu will be more transmissible and more deadly than the usual varieties and this can result in pandemic influenza like the Spanish Flu following the First World War or Swine Flu and Bird Flu more recently. Other viruses can cause a ‘flu-like illness' which is indistinguishable from flu without testing as they cause all the same type of symptoms. COVID-19 was a good example of this. 

The mainstay of avoiding any viral respiratory infection is:

• Avoiding contact with unwell people
• Good hand hygiene
• Consideration of wearing masks

Vaccines

Vaccines play a big role in preventing the spread of these winter illnesses too. In the UK there is an influenza vaccine campaign every year with the vaccine tailored to the specific strain of flu that is expected to cause problems that year.

The NHS campaign is targeted at older people, people with underlying illness, and school age children (who tend to spread it quickly without getting particularly unwell). Many pharmacies will also provide the vaccine to those who don’t qualify for the NHS programme but who are happy to pay for it. Worldwide, the flu vaccine is estimated to save millions of lives each year.

Similar to flu, the COVID vaccine is also given to more vulnerable people each winter in the UK, and in September 2024 the RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) vaccine was introduced for people over 75, pregnant ladies and newborn babies in the UK.

Taking advantage of these vaccines is one of the biggest steps that eligible people can take to preventing winter illnesses.

Healthy Immune System

Other steps that people can take to reduce the chance of becoming unwell involve doing things to maintain a healthy immune system.

This requires lifestyle measures such as:

• Not smoking
• Drinking alcohol in moderation
• Eating a healthy diet
• Taking regular exercise.

A diet replete in vitamin C, or alternatively taking vitamin C supplements, seems to be effective at both reducing the chance of becoming ill and shortening the duration of the illness if it occurs.

It is thought that the vitamin C helps to promote a stronger immune system.

If you are unlucky enough to fall ill this winter, then most of these winter illnesses will get better by themselves. 

These illnesses tend to last 7-10 days with the first few days usually being the worst. The cough associated with these viruses can drag on much longer but, other than the irritating cough, people are usually well at this point and should notice the cough steadily improve and finally disappear after a few weeks.

Treatment involves managing the symptoms with:

• Medication such as paracetamol and ibuprofen
• Taking plenty of rest
• Maintaining fluid intake
• Taking Vitamin C 

For the vast majority of people this will be enough and there is no need for other treatments such as antibiotics which are only effective against bacterial infections and will not improve a viral illness.

A very few people will get more severely unwell. This may be due to the development of a secondary, bacterial infection in some people, the extra burden of illness on an already frail body, or a severe immune overreaction to the virus which is what killed many people suffering with COVID-19. 

What to do if symptoms persist

If you are unwell with a cold or flu-like illness then you should seek medical help if you are continuing to feel worse beyond the expected 7-10 recovery period, or you are experiencing breathing difficulties, or you are unable to take fluids or medication (for example because your throat is too sore and swollen).

A blood test won't stop you getting colds or the flu, however a general health check will help in identifying underlying causes of persistent symptoms such as aches, stiffness and fatigue.

Gaining an understanding of how your body is currently functioning will help you make informed decisions about your lifestyle and maintaining general good health. Here are a few suggestions of full body MOT blood tests for you to consider:

Viral illnesses in the winter are an unfortunate fact of life. Whilst it is very difficult to avoid them completely, the measures above should help you minimize the chance of becoming unwell, and help you recover if you do fall ill.