As we are in the time of seasonal sniffles, the winter flu season has already had health officials in the UK worried, coming five weeks earlier than usual. Normally, people get the cold, flu, or COVID throughout the year, but during the colder months, cases increase. This year, specifically, the flu season started earlier. While the common cold is the first to make the rounds, Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, a consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, noted that flu tends to come later in December and January, but 2025 has already seen a rising number of flu cases in October, especially in the 15-25 age group.
The biggest concern is that if it starts too early, it could peak before most people get immunised, which is why the NHS issued a “flu jab SOS”. The dangers of flu should never be underestimated, as there were nearly 16,000 deaths in the 2022-23 flu season alone. It is therefore important that you take the necessary precautions by getting the flu vaccine as early as possible and know the difference between the common cold, flu and COVID. While they do have overlapping symptoms, they are quite different.
Common cold
The common cold, also known as the rhinovirus, is a viral infection mostly found in the upper respiratory tract, nose and throat. You can easily get it through airborne droplets of coughing or sneezing, touching contaminated surfaces, or direct contact with a sick person. By treating a cold with rest, fluids, and over-the-counter medication, it should clear within 4 to 10 days.
The symptoms to look out for:
- Pressure in your ears (earlier symptom)
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Sore throat
- Sneezing
- Chestier, mucus cough
- Mild fever
- Muscle aches
- Fatigue or a general feeling of being unwell
Unfortunately, there is no approved vaccine for the rhinovirus, as there are 180 serotypes of this virus, making it difficult to create a single vaccine for all. But researchers are continuing to explore innovative technologies to treat it.
The flu
Influenza, more commonly referred to as the flu, is an acute respiratory illness caused by viruses. While the flu will often get better on its own, people can get seriously ill, and it can become life-threatening. It is therefore important to get the flu vaccine to help lower your risk of getting the flu, to prevent serious illness or complications, and to protect those around you. The latter is especially important in the workplace, as no company wants to see their workforce struggle with illness. The vaccine will also help your body train its immune system against the virus before exposure and make the illness milder if you do get sick.
Influenza spreads through respiratory droplets, and you will feel symptoms within 1 to 4 days after exposure. The symptoms to look out for are as follows:
- Sudden high temperature
- Aching body
- Feeling tired or exhausted
- Dry cough
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Difficulty sleeping
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhoea or stomach pain
If you do get the flu, make sure that you get plenty of rest, sleep, keep warm, and drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. You can also take over-the-counter medications like paracetamol or ibuprofen to treat aches and pains and lower your temperature. If your symptoms do not improve after 7 days, it is advised that you seek medical attention. You should also see a doctor if you feel a sudden pain in your chest, have difficulty breathing, or if you are coughing up blood.
COVID
COVID is a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that easily spreads from one person to the next. The problem with COVID is that someone may be infected with it but show no symptoms, thereby contaminating those around them without their knowledge. They can do so by coughing, sneezing, breathing, singing or talking, whereby they spread the virus through their breath. Symptoms may appear within 2 to 14 days after exposure as mild and can progress to more severe symptoms.
COVID symptoms include:
- Fever or chills – your skin could also feel warm to the touch on your chest or back
- Continuous coughing
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Sore throat
- Congestion or a runny nose
- Change or loss of taste or smell
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhoea
Before the winter reaches its peak season, it will be in your and your employees’ best interest to get the COVID vaccine as a precautionary against this virus. Like flu, COVID mutates, and it’s best to try and stay ahead of the curve. If you do get COVID, make sure you get a lot of rest, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and take paracetamol or ibuprofen to help treat pain. The NHS suggest taking a teaspoon of honey if you have a cough and if you experience breathlessness, turn the heating down and rather open a window, breathe slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth, sit upright in a chair, relax your shoulders and lean forward slightly.
Managing the flu and COVID viruses effectively in your company with FluClinic2You
With the flu season earlier upon us this winter and COVID still doing the rounds, FluClinic2You can assist your company to help deliver a fast and effective flu vaccination programme right to your doorstep. We can also assist your employees with a flu voucher that will allow them to get vaccinated at their local centre. Should you require more information, simply contact our team at FluClinic2You, and we can tailor our service to your needs in a convenient and cost-effective way.
