The decline in flu immunity during lockdowns has resulted in Brits complaining of suffering from ‘super colds’, with extra disruption to life likely to be caused by some health experts advising those with symptoms to isolate before ruling out Covid through testing. The Mirror has the story.
Social media is seeing users increasingly talking about having caught a “Super Cold” as Covid tests come back negative. …
[Professor Neil Mabbott says:] “As [lockdown] measures are eased and people start mixing more indoors and travelling on public transport we can expect to see a significant rise in colds and other respiratory diseases.”Professor Alex Richter, of Birmingham University, said: “It is impossible to tell the difference between a cold and Covid clinically.
“They present so similarly that only PCR testing can differentiate between the two. Lateral flow testing can help with screening, but if someone has symptoms then they should go for a PCR swab test.”
“It is unlikely we are seeing the circulation of a ‘Super Cold’,” Professor Mabbott added.
“Rather our immune systems have had limited exposure to colds over the past 18 months, so our immunity to these diseases will have waned during this period and will be less effective against colds than would be expected normally.” …
Professor Alan McNally is Professor of Microbial Evolutionary Genomics at the University of Birmingham and was Infectious Disease lead at the Milton Keynes Lighthouse Lab.
He said: “If you have any symptoms of respiratory infection you should stay at home to prevent transmission and get a test done for Covid to rule in or out.
“Trying to self-diagnose is a sure-fire way to send Covid case rates soaring again.”
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: The Telegraph has some advice for those suffering from the ‘super cold’.
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