'Brutal' cold that is 'worse than winter bug' and sweeping UK - symptoms here

27 November 2023 , 09:55

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'Brutal' cold that is 'worse than winter bug' and sweeping UK - symptoms here

A "brutal" cold that has left Brits bedridden across the UK is said to be "worse than any winter bug", patients have warned.

People have reported that the infection has caused them discomfort for weeks at a time and left them with pounding headaches and fatigue. Patients compared the "awful" infection to the flu and said they have been forced to call in sick off work due to the severity of the symptoms.

Those suffering from the virus turned to the platform Reddit to share their experiences with the severe bug, with it being so bad, people shared their remedies with each other in a bid to get better. One person took to the channel called Reddit's r/CasualUK and said: "Just resurfaced from a 5hr midday nap.

Patients have reported a 'ridiculous' amount of mucus as part of the symptoms (Getty Images)

"I feel like my face has been hit with a shovel, I’m still tired, coughing, sneezing, can only breathe out of my mouth. Fun times."

Another user commented: "Just coming off the back end of a brutal cold that's lasted about 3 weeks, during which my sinuses have been almost completely closed, relaxing only for brief periods while also producing mucus at an alarming rate." A third person wrote: "I generally don't tend to get ill but this hideous cold-lurgy-flu type thing absolutely knocked me for six. Thought it was shifting but went for a walk earlier and now I just feel grotty again."

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People have reported how a new cold infection has caused them discomfort for weeks at a time and left them with pounding headaches and fatigue. (Getty Images/Tetra images RF)

Someone else said: "I caught it in October, I was bedridden for days and then spent another week housebound, constantly looking at my phone to see if it had been 4 hours since my last dose of paracetamol. I'm assuming it's a Covid variant that isn't picked up by the tests, it was worse than any winter bug I'd had before 2020."

Another person recommended a nasal spray and suggested: "It's been a total b****rd, had me in bed for a couple of days and feeling s**t for a couple of weeks now. I can totally recommend Otrivine nasal spray for the blocked nose/sinus bit though."

Some Brits suspected it could be a new Covid variant as some symptoms coincide with that of the virus (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

It comes after some users suspected it could be a new Covid variant as some symptoms coincide with that of the virus, after Brits were recently told to "remain vigilant" over the latest strains. Doctors recently identified a new descendant of the Pirola variant known as JN.1. The new strain has been found across the UK, US, Iceland, Portugal and Spain. Experts have warned it is also spreading rapidly through France.

Patients reported the symptoms as:

• Fever
• Headaches
• Blocked noses
• Coughs
• Fatigue

Symptoms of JN.1:

• Fever
• Coughing
• Tiredness
• Nasal congestion
• Runny nose
• Diarrhoea
• Headaches

Monica Charsley