Spring may have sprung but that doesn’t mean the seasonal sicknesses subside amid warmer weather.
There are many coughs and sniffles around the capital as people deal with various ailments and routine respiratory illnesses.
While it’s impossible to forget the chaos of the Covid-19 pandemic, face masks are now a thing of the past. Some people are letting their guard down when it comes to staying healthy.
Covid hasn’t disappeared completely, either. To make matters worse, we’re heading into hay fever season.
As of last week, there were still 1.66 hospitalisations per 100,000 Covid-19 cases detected in the UK. Although influenza cases dropped slightly, the disease may still impact many people in the next few months.
So what are the bugs that you need to be aware of?
Why does it seem everyone is falling ill?
It seems everyone is getting sick — but is that the case?
If you have recently become ill and feel worse than usual, the bad news is that it is possible to have multiple cases of flu and viruses simultaneously.
Dr Chris Smith, a virologist from the University of Cambridge, explained to the BBC in January 2024 the risk of battling multiple touches of flu.
"We occasionally see people who are diagnosed with two, sometimes three, viral infections simultaneously," he said.
Dr Smith said people likely could "succumb to several things either all at the same time or one after another like a domino effect”.
This means it may seem as if people around you are recovering much more slowly.
Dr Smith added that pandemic-enforced lockdowns had left us with an "immunity debt", meaning our immune systems are now weaker.
This is because we contracted fewer illnesses than normal, meaning our immune systems need time to adjust to less Covid-19 present. It may mean that we become sick more easily for a while.
Hay fever season is almost here
While the highest pollen counts tend to occur in warmer months between May and September, hay fever sufferers might feel slightly uncomfortable this week.
The Met Office said there was a ‘high’ pollen count in the capital on Wednesday (April 3) and another high burst of birch tree pollen on Saturday.
Hay fever isn’t contagious, but you might hear more sniffles, spot more watery eyes, and see more pals reach for the antihistamines this weekend.
When are people most ill?
Researchers have found that people are more ill during the cold winter months. But germs are present year-round, so why is that?
Reducing the temperature inside the nose by as little as 5C kills nearly 50 per cent of the billions of helpful bacteria-fighting cells and viruses in the nostrils. This was according to a 2022 study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
This means that any time there’s a cold spell, you may be at higher risk of contracting a nasty respiratory infection.
“Cold air is associated with increased viral infection because you’ve essentially lost half of your immunity just by that small drop in temperature,” said study author Dr Benjamin Bleier, director of otolaryngology translational research at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
Luckily, the weather should get warmer soon, meaning fewer snotty noses and happier Londoners.
How to avoid falling ill
The best ways to prevent getting sick are washing your hands with warm water and soap; not sharing towels or household items with someone with a cold; not touching your eyes or nose (a virus can infect the body this way); and staying fit and healthy.
What to do if you are ill
If you have Covid symptoms, try staying at home and avoiding contact with others. You should also consider doing this if you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to do your normal activities.
If you have flu or cold symptoms, a pharmacist can give treatment advice.
Whether you have Covid, flu, or a cold, try to rest and sleep, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and gargle salt water to soothe a sore throat.
