Flu is an acute respiratory illness, which usually causes high fever, severe weakness and fatigue. It makes you feel very sick, more than a normal cold.

Does flu spread easily?
The flu virus can spread quickly from person to person through tiny drops in coughs and sneezes. If you are close to a person with flu you can breathe them in and become infected. Droplets can also be passed from surfaces like door handles and hand rails.

How will I know if I have got flu?

First of all you need to check the symptoms you are having. Flu begins very suddenly, within a few hours of feeling well. The symptoms include:

• a fever of 38 C or 100.4 F that begins very suddenly
• severe tiredness
• a cough
• a sore throat
• muscle aches and pains
• a runny nose
• a headache
• Some people have vomiting and diarrhoea

If you have a fever, are severely tired or weak and have these other symptoms, you are likely to have the flu.

What are the diferences between the flu and the comon cold?
It can be difficult at times to distinguish between the common cold and influenza. The main difference is that the symptoms of influenza come on rapidly and are typically accompanied by muscle aches and a fever.

The common cold has a more gradual onset and is associated with a runny nose and sneezing. An important additional feature of Flu is that diarrhoea and vomiting occur occasionally.

Read Advice on caring for flu at home here

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