# Weird to catch flu (was:Something odd and f\*\*ked up) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [March 20, 2022, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-to-catch-flu-was-something-odd-and-f-ked-up/961369 "2022-03-20T03:23:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-to-catch-flu-was-something-odd-and-f-ked-up/961369/1 "2022-03-20T03:23:09Z")
I managed to get the _flu_ week before last. One of my kids brought it home from school, despite wearing masks and everything. I was convinced I had COVID, went and got tested, and when the CVS tech asked if I wanted the joint COVID/Flu test, I said “Sure, why not?”. Turned out I had Flu-A. How weird is that, in light of all the precautions and fear about COVID, that I go off and get the damned flu? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-to-catch-flu-was-something-odd-and-f-ked-up/961369/2 "2022-03-20T03:30:24Z")
My staff of 11 went nearly 2 years without only one or two sick days. Since the masks came off a month ago I’ve got people calling in sick once or twice a week. Flu, strep, bronchitis. No COVID except for one person who decided to isolate with his COVID positive wife. I’m not sure it’s because the masks came off or just because people are going to group events again. Probably both. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-to-catch-flu-was-something-odd-and-f-ked-up/961369/3 "2022-03-20T06:52:44Z")
Husband just got over it. As the masking rules dropped, and the flu vaccine missed the mark, the number of flu cases this year (at least here in Switzerland) is rather high. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-to-catch-flu-was-something-odd-and-f-ked-up/961369/4 "2022-03-20T14:49:22Z")
I don’t think getting the flu now is particularly strange. Mask mandates are gone and multiple articles have pointed out that this season’s flu shot is terrible, only [16% effective](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/10/health/flu-vaccine-effectiveness.html). ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-to-catch-flu-was-something-odd-and-f-ked-up/961369/5 "2022-03-20T15:14:40Z")
Title changed to be more descriptive. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-to-catch-flu-was-something-odd-and-f-ked-up/961369/6 "2022-03-20T15:35:51Z")
I find myself wondering if immune systems are also a little weakened from less use, around masks, isolation, etc. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-to-catch-flu-was-something-odd-and-f-ked-up/961369/7 "2022-03-20T19:59:21Z")
An employee came to work a few weeks ago despite being I’ll. I freaked out, sent her home, and bathed in hand sanitizer. I was so happy to hear that she tested positive for influenza. She was COVID-19 vaccinated (as I required) but never bothered with a flu vaccine. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-to-catch-flu-was-something-odd-and-f-ked-up/961369/8 "2022-03-20T21:28:18Z")
I can believe it, since I got my flu shot back in September or October. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-to-catch-flu-was-something-odd-and-f-ked-up/961369/9 "2022-03-20T23:13:02Z")
I imagine it’s terrible because no one had the flu for the last two years, so they had no idea what strains to vaccinate against. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-to-catch-flu-was-something-odd-and-f-ked-up/961369/10 "2022-03-21T11:54:05Z")
News Item: Clarence Thomas hospitalized with flu. (or something?) Hmmm? Wonder what vaxxes he’s had. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-to-catch-flu-was-something-odd-and-f-ked-up/961369/11 "2022-03-21T12:02:14Z")
He’s getting up there. Maybe it’s time to retire?! ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-to-catch-flu-was-something-odd-and-f-ked-up/961369/12 "2022-03-21T12:06:19Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > He’s getting up there. Maybe it’s time to retire?! Your remark would fit even better following the related post I wrote in the Schadenfreude thread: > [@A Perfectly Reasonable Amount of Schadenfreude about Things Happening to Trump & His Enablers (Part 1)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/4834): > > Far be it from me to wish ill health or misfortune on anyone. But I look forward to a day when a Democratic democratic president can appoint another justice to the Court. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2022, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-to-catch-flu-was-something-odd-and-f-ked-up/961369/13 "2022-03-24T16:38:54Z")
I’ve seen several news sources report that the Supreme court told them that all the justices have been vaccinated a boosted. (grumble, can’t find one now, though.) ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2022, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-to-catch-flu-was-something-odd-and-f-ked-up/961369/14 "2022-03-24T16:43:51Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I’ve seen several news sources report that the Supreme court told them that all the justices have been vaccinated a boosted. Yeah, yeah, that’s what they _want_ you to believe. Okay, I’m sure they all have their vaxes. Like a lot of the most prominent anti-vax politicians who rant and rave about freedumb and keeping businesses open and schools open and let’s not tell people how to run their lives and businesses, but they make laws forbidding businesses to mandate vaxes for their employees and customers, etc. And of course, they are probably all vaxed up themselves, even if they refuse to admit it. (DeSantis, we’re talking about you.)