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The "worst cold ever" is hitting the UK

keepswimming

Senior Member
Messages
327
Location
UK
My husband has had a cold for a couple of weeks now, he can't seem to shake it off (we're in the UK). I'm happy to say I managed to fight it off! I felt myself becoming unwell not long after he got ill. I dosed up with echinacea and ginger tea, elderberry syrup, garlic allicin tablets, and used salt water to gargle and nasal douche. Also made sure to get extra rest. The cold never appeared and I felt better within a day or two! Very pleased as viral infections always make my fatigue much worse.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
I was out shopping wearing a mask and not really close to anyone and two days later was fighting off whatever this is.

Were you wearing a surgical mask, or an FFP2 / N95 respirator mask, may I ask?

There are some studies which show there's not much difference between these two types of mask for preventing viral infections. But in the COVID wards, doctors and nurses all wear FFP2 or N95 masks, which are more guaranteed to protect against viruses.

The trouble with surgical masks is that they do not seal securely to the face, so contaminated air can get in through the gaps.
 

lenora

Senior Member
Messages
4,913
HI....as we get older we get fewer colds b/c we've already had them (at least it used to that type of thinking). Perhaps this is a new virus and that's why more people are becoming ill.

Hip, I think it's probable that your temp. sensitivity goes along with ME. My temp. is often below normal, and yet I can be freezing and my teeth may start chattering and forehead is very hot. On two occasions the teeth chattering didn't stop for over 24 hrs. I was exhausted. So yes, it's possible to have both ranges....ask any woman going through menopause.

The Chinese herb sounds interesting, almost as if it's for those with allergies of the type my husband has. His nose is constantly running, while mine goes into sinus problems and then bronchitis. Well, being sick is a full time job, to say the least.

Mary, I had a feeling you were down for the count. I hope you're feeling better by now. Take care everyone and I hope none of you will catch this "cold" or whatever. Yours, Lenora.
 

Mouse girl

Senior Member
Messages
579
There are lots of pathogens that are easier to catch then covid, so that is another reason people catch things. I caught something a while back and i don't know how except going to doc apt or out but with a very good mask on, but perhaps i touched something and forgot to wash or something. i'm so run down in general and i think the place i'm living in is making me a bit sick or perhaps it's just i'm so run down or i have something more sinister. but i end up coughing alot at times but this is even when not going out at all or having contact with anyone.
 

godlovesatrier

Senior Member
Messages
2,545
Location
United Kingdom
Yep. My gf is suffering with it much more than I am. However I had the flu jab on Friday and I only felt the cold properly after that. I think the flu jab introducing new strains combined with this cold means it's hard to clear.

BUT Joshua's protocol combined with my max dose solaray probiotic is keeping the cold at bay. I do have a bit of a sore throat, I'm also quite hyper active which feels like the immune system overtly turned up. I'm also very hungry and wake up at 5am currently starving. Plus the usual hunger every 3 hours. This hasn't happened for ages and it's definitely caussd by the cold.

I also had gi upset 20 minutes after the flu jab which has gone now I think. Yesterday was my only really bad day - fatigue, felt anxious, off, asthma and tiredness.

What amazes me is that my gf is worse hit than me and she never gets sick. Even so she's had it for 2 weeks. I am fairly confident I had a cold before her which I got rid of and had barely any symptoms. Then I caught her cold which is the post lockdown cold and it's much worse.

But on the whole I'm doing exceptionally well considering the flu jab used to knock me out for 2 weeks and this time I've so far only had one day where I've felt knocked out. I did have a bout of upper back shoulder and neck pain with swelling but thank god it went away overnight!

I'm confident the protocol doses are keeping it under control. I recently blogged a full list of everything I'm taking if anyone's interested.

But yes it's a horrible cold. I'm currently experiencing some dizziness which is my primary warning sign. So I'm hoping that clears in a few weeks.

One thing I will say I don't feel anything like I did when I got the covid jabs. While I'm glad I got them my god they hit my immune system hard and caused a crash which lasted 2 months apiece (lowered baseline levels with dizziness). I think I'm gradually getting back to my pre 1st jab state. Where I was exercising every day and feeling happy and full of energy. I think I'll get back there in 2 months. Cannot believe the turnaround or how my body has bounced back from various things. Flu jab is the final test for me tbh.

Hope you all recover from it speedily (the cold).
 

L'engle

moogle
Messages
3,200
Location
Canada
Were you wearing a surgical mask, or an FFP2 / N95 respirator mask, may I ask?

No just a woven cloth one. Apparently it wasn't good enough. It shapes better to the face than the paper ones and is more comfortable but still isn't tightly sealed.

Normally I shop in the evening or morning when it's less busy but it was a nice afternoon so my mum and I went to the store around 4pm, just after the school rush. So even though the store wasn't really crowded the used air was still hanging from the busy time.
 

godlovesatrier

Senior Member
Messages
2,545
Location
United Kingdom
Hey splush. I take 1 to 2 capsules a day depending on how I'm feeling. If I'm sick or if I've got an infection or my energy is lower than it is (my energy levels are actually pretty great taking solaray) then I take 2 a day instead.

Side effects for me are sometimes difficulty sleeping or waking up 3 hours before my normal rise time. But no gi issues anymore but if I switch brand or stop taking it my gi issues and low energy comes back within 2 weeks. So it's pretty imperative I take it without fail every day.

Good luck!
 

Learner1

Senior Member
Messages
6,305
Location
Pacific Northwest
If we wear a mask in public places, it is much more easy to avoid catching a cold, flu, or COVID. Many of us are immunodeficient and it's not wise to catch something which could make our ME/CFS worse.