UK: `Worst Cold Ever' Trending On Social Media

Credit CDC

#16,208

With the lifting of facemask mandates - and the increased intermingling of society over the summer - many experts have warned that after an 18 month absence, we could see the return of influenza (and other respiratory viruses) this fall and winter (see UK Academy Of Medical Sciences: Looking Ahead To COVID-19 Over Winter 2021/22 & Beyond).

We've already seen an international (and unseasonable) spike in RSV cases (see Demark SSI: Update On Summer Surge Of RSV), which has filled pediatric ICU beds in a number of countries. 

Anecdotally, I'm hearing of a lot of people with ear infections, which - in adults - is often associated with the common cold or other mild respiratory infections.  In the UK - at least, according to mainstream media - the phrase `Worst Cold Ever' is trending on social media.   

Making allowances for the hyperbole of social media, a few recent headlines include:

Sandpaper throat: Sufferers describe non-Covid infection as ‘worst cold ever’

Rise in colds comes after coronavirus restrictions lifted

Rory Sullivan  - Independent

Is 'the worst cold ever' going around?

By Imran Rahman-Jones and Manish Pandey - BBC

GP explains why Brits having 'worst cold ever' as people mix after 18 months of Covid

London GP Dr Philippa Kaye says the "worst cold ever" is hitting Brits hard this autumn because two years of dodging Covid has left us with lower immunity to the viruses

By
Ryan Fahey News Reporter  - The Mirror

Although these reports on social media have been rising for several weeks, it doesn't appear to be showing up in the most recent (Sept 23rd) Weekly Flu and COVID-19 report from the PHE, which states:

Through Respiratory Datamart, there was 1 influenza positive sample detected in week 37 (influenza B). Other indicators for influenza such as hospital admissions and GP influenza-like illness consultation rates remain very low. Respiratory syncytial virus positivity decreased to 8.3% in week 37, while rhinovirus positivity decreased to 11.5% in week 37. Parainfluenza, adenovirus and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) positivity remained low at 0.7%, 0.9% and 1.0% respectively in week 37.

It is possible that - since home lateral flow test kits for COVID are readily available in the UK, and COVID infection can be ruled out without a visit to the GP -, that many people with upper respiratory infections are not being picked up by regular surveillance. 

The concern is the return of seasonal respiratory viruses this fall and winter could greatly complicate the testing, detection, and isolation of COVID cases, and - particularly if influenza becomes rampant - could seriously degrade the ability of healthcare delivery systems to function (see Montana Governor Sends National Guard To Aid COVID-Stressed Hospitals).

While the feared `twindemic' of COVID and influenza wasn't realized last year, we are in largely uncharted territory, and nobody knows exactly how COVID - and other respiratory viruses - will play together in the months ahead.

We do know that even without a pandemic strain, influenza can sometimes deliver a hellish flu season, as it did in over the winter of 2017-18 (see 2018's CDC: The Estimated Burden Of Last Year's Flu Season).

And early, and admittedly limited, reports suggest an increased risk to those who are co-infected with influenza and COVID (see Cureus: A Case Series of SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza Co-infection).

The good news is, there are relatively simple things we can do to reduce the impact of influenza,  and other seasonal respiratory viruses, when they eventually do return.  

• We can get the yearly flu shot, 
• we can continue to wear face masks in public
• we can avoid crowds during outbreaks, 
• we can be scrupulous in our hand hygiene, 
• and we can choose not to go to work, school, or out in public if we are `sick'. 

Things which the past 18 months have shown help to greatly reduce the spread of COVID and seasonal viruses - and frankly things we should be doing each and every winter out of consideration for others - if not for our own protection.