Flu is the worst it’s been in decades so wear a bloody mask FFS

It’s not often we agree with Loose Women here at the Canary. But a discussion on the show on Thursday 11 December around the flu stopped us in our tracks.

Panelist Judi Love commented on the fact that she’d had some time off and was exhausted. She shared that for the last month she’s been looking after her daughter then her son who had the flu. Love said her son got so ill he ended up in hospital. She commented:

There’s so much talk about different jabs, I think people just brush it over. They think: I don’t need it. Or it’s some conspiracy. It is very much an individual choice, look at your circumstances, your family history and make that decision for yourself, not any other pressure

Loose Women discuss just how serious flu is

It was actually refreshing to see the flu epidemic being spoken about rationally. Though the comment about it being an individual choice whether to get a jab is a bit debatable when a big reason to get it is to protect others who can’t get it.

She carried on:

What I’ve seen over these past 4 weeks where I have been back and forth with this virus. It’s actually more serious than I would have thought about 4 weeks ago I’m usually like “oh it’s winter, have a little rum, rub a little Vicks on, whatever.”

But actually trying to manage it and then I’m hearing more and more people sick, I’ve got friends in hospital, I’ve got friends that are sick. So I just think personally, I’m gonna start to act like I used to act in COVID — wearing a mask when I need to.

Again, let’s set aside the “used to act in COVID” part, because we’re still ‘in COVID’. The host for the day Charlene White interjected

Because that’s really about protecting other people. Because the numbers are 50% higher than this time last year and we’ve got NHS and A&E departments [that] are overrun.

It can’t be brushed under the carpet that panelist Jane Moore supported people who don’t trust jabs “after COVID.” That “there’s arguments masks don’t change anything”. However she still highlighted that she got less infections when masks were mandatory.

Other parts of the discussion even included Charlene White saying it was “selfish” for people who are sick to cough and sneeze all over and not mask. And finished with Moore saying

If you’re sick, stay home, don’t be a hero

Record numbers hospitalised with flu

Away from a discussion on a weekday lunchtime panel, the situation is serious. The number of people hospitalised with flu in England jumped by 55% last week. That’s the highest it’s ever been for this time of year. Usually we see flu gaining prevalence in November, or early December, but this year the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) saw a spike in October.

A big reason for this is that the particular strain of flu this year for some reason evolved more over the summer, so attacked earlier. By evolving it means that it’s different to the one being vaccinating against, which was chosen last February.

The “super flu” as it’s being called has been found to be more common in children aged 5-14, with some schools having to close amid staff shortages. Despite all this, worryingly, the virus still doesn’t look like it will hit its peak anytime soon.

Still, people are too selfish to mask

Yet, with all this happening there’s still much division over masking. While one NHS leader urged people to wear a mask in public places, many of his peers criticised him for saying so.

Daniel Elkeles, the chief executive of NHS Providers, told Times Radio

If you are coughing and sneezing, but you’re not unwell enough to not go to work, you must wear a mask when you’re in public spaces, including on public transport

However other health professionals said this could undermine UKHSA guidance which only says you should “consider” wearing a mask if you’re sick. Simon Williams, a behavioural scientist and public health researcher at Swansea University told The Guardian:

When people receive conflicting, unclear or mixed messages about health advice, such as when to wear masks, this can be confusing for people and can undermine the messages

Williams said this could lead to “alert fatigue” or spread misinformation. But let’s be honest it’s changing “recommended” for “must”. However, the UKHSA guidance doesn’t actually say either of those things. It simply says:

Masks continue to be a useful tool in limiting the spread respiratory viruses in some situations. Wearing a well-fitting mask when unwell can reduce the number of particles containing viruses that are released from the mouth and nose of someone who is infected with a respiratory infection.

Face coverings can also protect the person wearing them from becoming infected with other respiratory viruses.

So it’s not actually guidance so much as just stating facts. Thanks to the wishy washy nature of the non-guidance, prime minister Keir Starmer has been able to get away with saying “the guidance hasn’t changed”

If masking was traumatising, what was being left to die?

However that didn’t stop Kemi Badenoch from saying she’s “still traumatised” from having to wear a mask during COVID. If the worst part of the beginning of the pandemic for you was that you had to wear a mask, you truly need to look at your own privilege.

In 2020, 6 in 10 COVID deaths were disabled people, in Wales it was 1 in 8. A huge reason for that was that we were never seen as a priority. When hospital wards were pushed to their limit, professionals chose to save healthier people before disabled lives. When the flu peaks there’s no saying that won’t happen again. That’s why more than ever it’s important that we start masking again.

The flu debate

It’s become increasingly obvious in the past week as debate around mask wearing has arisen again that for many people, the toughest part of 2020 was having to put a bit of cloth over their mouth and nose. Sorry but if you never had to beg a loved one not to call an ambulance for fear you’d be left to die you can shut the fuck up about ‘trauma.’

Every single disabled person I know carries a trauma that they could never describe to non-disabled people around the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Because they could never comprehend that while the country banged pots and pans and bragged about helping their neighbours, disabled people were ostracised for warning the country was opening up too soon and then treated like we were scaremongering for highlighting that GPs were trying to force Do Not Resuscitate orders on us.

Whilst it’s important to protect yourself, it’s even more important to protect those who need protecting even more. So please, stop being selfish pricks and just wear a mask FFS.

Featured image via the Canary