Colds, coughs, stomach bugs: why are so many of us getting "winter" illnesses this summer?

It may be one of the hottest summers on record, but the hot weather hasn't stopped 35-year-old Lorraine Davies and her family from catching all viruses. “Since the spring, I feel like our whole family has been constantly sick,” she says. “I've had at least four viruses in the past few months. As a busy mom, I just had to try to keep going. There were days when I put the kids to bed and then fell asleep because I was so tired. ”

This is not the first time they have been hit by a wave of summer viruses since the start of the pandemic. Last year, her youngest child ended up in the emergency room with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a cold-like bug that can cause serious illness in babies. “This summer we have all had colds, coughs, stomach bugs, as well as Covid. I don't think we've ever been to the doctor so much.

The illnesses started when the older children returned to school after the Easter holidays and her youngest returned to her nanny. Davies runs a part-time freelance coaching business and the disruption has had a major impact on his work. Constant illnesses also prevented the family from practicing hobbies and socializing. "I have friends and family who have had cancer treatment or are immunocompromised. You just don't want to spread germs to people who might be vulnerable, so that's a constant worry." /p>

Davies is not alone in facing these challenges.Across the UK, doctors' surgeries and hospitals are seeing an influx of patients with typical winter illnesses, including coughs, colds, croup, stomach bugs and chickenpox.Dr Hana Patel, a London-based GP and mental health coach who works in the NHS and in private practice, says young people children are particularly affected."During the lockdown, we came into contact with fewer germs and as a result the immune system did not have a chance to develop in some children," she says. the first summer when people return to normal routines and s e really mix again. Kindergarten children tend to get a lot of bugs in their first year, especially in winter. Due to the closures, we see this at a different time of the year.

Dr Patel also continues to see large numbers of Covid cases, which can be difficult to distinguish from other respiratory viruses. Newer variants, she says, "cause slightly different symptoms and people suffer from them again and again."

Zeinab Ardeshir, founder of the pharmacy home delivery service online PillSorted, noticed that people were catching more colds and taking longer to recover. “I see much more acute prescriptions coming in than we normally do at this time of year,” she says. The majority are steroid inhalers, which can help people manage symptoms such as coughs and breathing problems, and antibiotics for those who develop a secondary infection. "We've had over 20 families over the past few weeks with complaints of headaches, sore throats, coughs and fevers that don't go away as quickly as a virus usually would. They test negative for Covid but continue to be ill. dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement" class="dcr-10khgmf">