Why is Britain so sick right now?

Are you ill? If not, you probably know someone who is, or at least recently recovered.

It seems like coughs and colds are very common right now.

And judging from the anecdotes of people I know, the problem going around seems particularly bad.

Sore throat? Mark it. Runny nose? Mark it. Sinus pressure? Double tick.

What’s going on?

“This is normal, it’s autumn after all,” says Professor Jonathan Ball from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

The combination of children returning to school, adults returning to work after summer break, and people spending more time indoors as the weather cools, creates a ripe breeding ground for respiratory viruses to proliferate, he says.

“Basically, we have a big mixing pot of different viruses starting to circulate. Immunity is weakened and people are getting sick.”

In fact, there are more than 100 different viruses that cause upper and lower respiratory infections and some bacterial infections.

Data collection from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that Rhinovirus, which many of us refer to as the common cold, has been on the rise in recent weeks and now appears to be the most common cause of illness.

Covid is also circulating, driven by two new variants, XFG, which some call Stratus, and NB.1.8.1, known as Nimbus. However, there is already a high degree of immunity in the population, meaning that for most people this is a fairly mild infection.

There are signs that flu may also be on the rise – last week saw an increase in the 15-25 age group – while RSV, which can cause serious illness in young children, also tends to spread in the autumn.

“There is often, but not always, a pattern,” says Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA.

“You see Rhinovirus emerge first, then RSV,” he explains. “Flu usually strikes later in December and January. But that’s not always the case, and the pandemic has certainly disrupted traditional seasonal trends. What we’ve seen around the last year is that those trends are returning to normal.”

He says disease levels are not very high right now.

“Covid is above baseline and there is a lot of Rhinovirus around. The increase in flu in this younger age group has perhaps come a little earlier than we expected, but it is still low.”

According to the NHS, the most common symptoms are:

cold

• Symptoms appear gradually
• Mostly affects the nose and throat
• Early sign – pressure in your ears
• Chestier, mucusy cough

Cold

• It comes suddenly
• I feel erased
• Fever, muscle aches, fatigue
• Bed rest is required
• dry cough

Covid

• Typical flu symptoms
• loss of taste of smell
• Diarrhea or abdominal discomfort

Many of the symptoms overlap between cold, flu and more serious viruses such as Covid.

Respiratory infections can of course be very dangerous for vulnerable people; In a bad winter, tens of thousands of people can die from the flu.

But there is nothing to suggest that currently circulating respiratory viruses are causing more severe illness in healthy people this year.

“We all react in different ways and we don’t really understand why,” admits Prof Ball.

“Of course age and fitness have a lot to do with it, but sometimes it just depends on your individual genetics, how tired and exhausted you are, or when you were last exposed to the virus in question.”

The most important step you can take to protect yourself is to get vaccinated if you are eligible. Shootings are offered Flu, Covid and RSV Protecting those most at risk of serious illness, including the elderly and those with certain health conditions.

The UKHSA says you can help protect others by washing your hands regularly if you are sick, especially after coughing or sneezing, staying at home if possible and considering wearing a mask if you need to go to public places.

Prof Ball says it’s right to take precautions to try to protect vulnerable people, but adds that if you’re healthy and young or of working age, catching the odd respiratory illness is pretty inevitable and not necessarily a bad thing.

“Most people get one or two respiratory infections each year. In some ways, that’s a good thing when you’re a child or a healthy adult.

“By exposure, you build your immunity through natural infection, so hopefully when you get older, you will have enough immunity to not get seriously ill.”