Colds & Flus....Common ?
Feb 18th 2011, 7:54 am
#16
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: near Darwin
Posts: 303
Re: Colds & Flus....Common ?
I find the common cold is quite common in Darwin, rare colds are not so common. 
But seriously, my kids bring a virus home from school once in a while, runny noses, coughs and sneezes and the like, but none have had any serious stuff - probably 2 days off in the last 3 years.
But seriously, my kids bring a virus home from school once in a while, runny noses, coughs and sneezes and the like, but none have had any serious stuff - probably 2 days off in the last 3 years.
Feb 18th 2011, 8:56 am
#17
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 9,397
Re: Colds & Flus....Common ?
I used to suffer almost permanent sinus problems in the UK but rarely do here (mind you, I was working then.)
However, I never had hay fever in the UK but certainly *do* here - different pollen I expect.
Every other person in town seems to have a cold most winters - which is unsurprising given the lack of concern about spreading them around.....
However, I never had hay fever in the UK but certainly *do* here - different pollen I expect.
Every other person in town seems to have a cold most winters - which is unsurprising given the lack of concern about spreading them around.....
Feb 19th 2011, 12:07 am
#18
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Colds & Flus....Common ?
I used to suffer almost permanent sinus problems in the UK but rarely do here (mind you, I was working then.)
However, I never had hay fever in the UK but certainly *do* here - different pollen I expect.
Every other person in town seems to have a cold most winters - which is unsurprising given the lack of concern about spreading them around.....
However, I never had hay fever in the UK but certainly *do* here - different pollen I expect.
Every other person in town seems to have a cold most winters - which is unsurprising given the lack of concern about spreading them around.....
In an office environment people worry about it all the time. Here and in the UK. Central heating and AC systems can't help.
I don't mind 'em. Can slope off work. They don't disable you completely.
Feb 19th 2011, 3:00 am
#19
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2010
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posts: 156
Re: Colds & Flus....Common ?
The biggest bore for me is people who worry about catching a cold. And then talk about them when they get them. "Don't do that - I'll get it"! It's an effing virus. They make it sound like voodoo. "It's really bad. I've got an ache here, and a gripe there". So you've got a virus...good for you son.
In an office environment people worry about it all the time. Here and in the UK. Central heating and AC systems can't help.
I don't mind 'em. Can slope off work. They don't disable you completely.
In an office environment people worry about it all the time. Here and in the UK. Central heating and AC systems can't help.
I don't mind 'em. Can slope off work. They don't disable you completely.
Each and everytime I spend the first 12-18 months catching every bug under the sun - possibly adapting to the localised strains (as well as the more global ones). After a couple of years I was more inline with the locals regarding how many flus/colds I'd get.
I do find the lifestyle here much healthier and more inducive to the outdoors which helps somewhat. Best of luck!
Feb 19th 2011, 7:48 am
#20
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Sydney
Posts: 114
Re: Colds & Flus....Common ?
I've never had flu in Australia, because I have the influenza vaccine every year. If you've ever had real flu, you'll know how severe it is compared to a cold- and what a relief it is not to have to go through it again.
Feb 19th 2011, 7:53 am
#21
Crazy Cat Lady
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 65,493
Re: Colds & Flus....Common ?
Please don't assume that because you've had the 'jab' you won't get flu again, you're likely to be disappointed.
Feb 19th 2011, 11:51 am
#23
Joined: May 2006
Location: in the Sydney asylum
Posts: 20,690
Re: Colds & Flus....Common ?
luckily for us we have not had a bad cold since we have been in oz BUt the hayfever and the asthma are worse
friends with young school kids seem to get the same amount of colds
friends with young school kids seem to get the same amount of colds
Feb 19th 2011, 3:02 pm
#24
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Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Perth (ex Oxford)
Posts: 411
Re: Colds & Flus....Common ?
I used to get an annual niggling cough in the UK that would last for months.
Not a sniff of anything like it in more than 3 years here
Not a sniff of anything like it in more than 3 years here
Feb 19th 2011, 11:46 pm
#25
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Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Perth
Posts: 2,237
Re: Colds & Flus....Common ?
Feb 20th 2011, 6:46 am
#26
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Sydney
Posts: 114
Re: Colds & Flus....Common ?
They update the flu vaccine strains every year to match those that are circulating, so it does a pretty good job, but of course it is not 100%. I have the flu vaccine because I have asthma which can be made much worse by respiratory infections. When I first arrived Down Under I had a really bad episode of asthma, which the doctors said was triggered by flu or a flu-like virus. Since then, I have had the flu vax each autumn and got through each winter without any more serious asthma attacks.
Feb 20th 2011, 7:52 am
#27
Frequent Flyer Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 10,994
Re: Colds & Flus....Common ?
According to his GP he's seen 8 adults in the last 2 weeks with it...incidence increasing due to lower take up of child vaccines apparently.
Feb 20th 2011, 7:58 am
#28
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,815
Re: Colds & Flus....Common ?
There was an epidemic of it in Brisbane last year apparently.
Feb 20th 2011, 9:16 am
#29
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 9,397
Re: Colds & Flus....Common ?
This thread strikes an unhappy chord with me - I've been under an upper respiratory infection for a week - and just today given it to Mrs Wol, who is suitably grateful. Suitably as in "I am going to kill you".............
Feb 20th 2011, 9:41 am
#30
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Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Canada->WA->Melbourne
Posts: 1,612
Re: Colds & Flus....Common ?
Australia isn't all that different when it comes to cold and flu I think.
One thing that is VERY different though is my hay fever. I suffer from hay fever very badly in the UK, in fact the Doctor stated that it was one of the worst reactions to pollen he had ever seen!!!
It is the tree pollen in the UK that gets me especially around May time as that is when the kind of trees that really get me give off pollen. When I was younger and I didn't keep the medication up my eyes would totally close up and become so puffy I could hardly see out. Breathing was very difficult indeed, you can almost feel the pollen stinging your lungs! I would regularly not be able to breath through my nose from May - July. Even with medication it was bad.
However in Australia I am hay fever free
That for me is reason enough to head back.
I hear the people who suffer from grass pollen still get hay fever in Australia, depends on which kind of pollen you are allergic to.
One thing that is VERY different though is my hay fever. I suffer from hay fever very badly in the UK, in fact the Doctor stated that it was one of the worst reactions to pollen he had ever seen!!!
It is the tree pollen in the UK that gets me especially around May time as that is when the kind of trees that really get me give off pollen. When I was younger and I didn't keep the medication up my eyes would totally close up and become so puffy I could hardly see out. Breathing was very difficult indeed, you can almost feel the pollen stinging your lungs! I would regularly not be able to breath through my nose from May - July. Even with medication it was bad.
However in Australia I am hay fever free
That for me is reason enough to head back.I hear the people who suffer from grass pollen still get hay fever in Australia, depends on which kind of pollen you are allergic to.
None of us had seasonal allergies back in Canada. Since we moved here, both kids have developed hayfever...spring is the worst although my son was affected last autumn too for some reason...I've dragged sniffly, snotting, coughing kids to the GP a few times now for him to say, "Hayfever!" and charge me for that diagnosis...
As for the whooping cough, my husband (who had a booster and was up to date) brought it home last March. Two of us didn't get it but my son did. Everyone was pretty miserable for a while. It's not purely lower uptake of childhood vaccines (which doesn't account for why hubby got it) but the pertussis bacteria has adapted and become more virulent over the years...I've read some fascinating published studies documenting this...