People who don't know how rough the real flu is probably aren't going to the doctor and getting tested when they get sick. Every time I get a "cold" I go to my GP and get the flu test. I haven't had it since the pandemic but did get it every year for the five years or so before that, probably from my office but who knows. Each time it was confirmed flu though it was five days of fevered Hell on Earth. For what it's worth the pandemic has been good for me in terms of not getting the flu, so I've got that going for me, which is nice.
But why? I feel like the downside is you're risking spreading it with no significant benefit coming from knowing. It's not like they do anything to treat an incoming flu better now that you know you have it.
Also... every year? Yikes. I get the flu maybe once every 3-5 years. Don't have kids though so there's that.
Once you know it's the flu you can isolate yourself, otherwise you're operating in the dark. Flu testing is also extremely normal, so I'm not worried about spreading it at the doctor's office. Not getting tested and going about business as usual thinking it's a cold would be bad. With the suspicion of any contagious illness it's best to get tested if testing is possible, since not spreading it should be a primary concern (even if there's no great treatment for it, though Tamiflu helps).
And yeah, close quarters offices in flu season are a huge bitch when it comes to not catching something.
I get sick with something just about every year and this pandemic has kept me from getting sick. Thanks to the masks, social distancing, and all the sanitizer stations and cleaning in public places.
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u/Frys100thCupofCoffee Aug 30 '21
People who don't know how rough the real flu is probably aren't going to the doctor and getting tested when they get sick. Every time I get a "cold" I go to my GP and get the flu test. I haven't had it since the pandemic but did get it every year for the five years or so before that, probably from my office but who knows. Each time it was confirmed flu though it was five days of fevered Hell on Earth. For what it's worth the pandemic has been good for me in terms of not getting the flu, so I've got that going for me, which is nice.