Influenza

Many symptoms of “real” flu are similar to those of a common cold or a COVID-19 infection. They might include fever, a headache, joint pain, and a stuffy or runny nose. But flu usually affects the entire body rather than just the airways. It typically starts suddenly with very severe symptoms. These usually improve a lot within one week. Coughing and exhaustion may last longer, though.

Flu symptoms include:

• A fever between 38°C and 40°C (about 100-104°F) or higher
• Muscle and joint pain throughout the entire body (myalgia and arthralgia)
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Chills
• Severe fatigue and a general feeling of being very ill
• Dry cough
• Stuffy and/or runny nose
• Loss of appetite
• Extreme tiredness

Babies or toddlers may also have stomach and bowel trouble like nausea and vomiting.

If you think you might have the flu, it may be a good idea to go to the doctor. This is especially important if you already have other medical conditions – such as a chronic lung disease or diabetes – that increase the risk of developing complications. It is also a good idea to seek medical advice if you have the flu and are in close contact with people who are at high risk.

Sinusitis (an inflammation of the sinus cavities) is one very common complication of the flu. Here the cavities surrounding the nose fill with an infectious fluid. Common symptoms of sinusitis include a headache and a stuffy nose.

Babies and young children often develop a middle ear infection when they have any kind of respiratory tract infection.

In rare cases, the flu can become more serious and lead to complications like pneumonia. The chances of this happening are especially high in people with a weakened immune system, such as babies and toddlers, people over the age of 60, pregnant women or people who have a disease affecting their lungs or immune system. Very severe flu can become life-threatening.

Flu and cold viruses are spread by means of droplet infection: when someone who is infected coughs or sneezes, droplets containing the viruses are released into the air. Viruses also get onto the tissue and your hands when you blow your nose. These viruses can then pass to other people or objects. They are easily spread from person to person wherever a lot of people touch the same objects, like doorknobs or handrails on the subway or a bus. Cold and flu viruses are also more likely to spread if people come into direct contact with each other, for instance by shaking hands or hugging.

The most effective way to protect yourself and others from these viruses is to stop them from spreading – for example, by carefully washing your hands frequently, coughing into your elbow rather than into your hands, regularly letting fresh air into the room, and throwing away used tissues.

A mask that covers your mouth and nose can help to stop the viruses from spreading.

Even after the symptoms have gone away, you are still contagious for up to one week. So it's a good idea to limit your contact with others to as few people as possible during this period, perhaps by working from home if you are able to.

A flu vaccination can also help protect you from flu viruses.

If you have the flu, it's most important to first get some rest until the symptoms go away. Many people turn to home remedies like chicken broth and herbal teas to relieve flu symptoms. Getting plenty to drink is also considered to be important. But there's no scientific proof that any of these things helps speed up recovery. So you don't necessarily have to use any of these remedies or drink more fluids than you feel like drinking.

A number of freely available products like vitamin supplements or inhalation devices are marketed for the treatment of colds, coughs and flus. But there's no compelling evidence that they're effective against the flu. Painkillers such as acetaminophen (paracetamol), acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, the drug in medicines like Aspirin) and ibuprofen can relieve pain and reduce the fever. Children and teenagers shouldn't use acetylsalicylic acid, though, because it can cause a rare but dangerous side effect called Reye’s syndrome in these age groups.

In addition to these medications that you can get without a prescription, special flu medication is also available. The most common of these in Germany is oseltamivir (trade name: Tamiflu). Oseltamivir is prescription-only and needs to be taken within two days after the flu starts. It doesn't have any effect on the course of the flu if you have already had symptoms for longer than that. Some research suggests that oseltamivir can reduce the duration of the flu by up to one day. But it often causes nausea and vomiting. It's not clear whether it helps to prevent related illnesses and severe complications.

Some people think that antibiotics will help in the treatment of the flu. But antibiotics are only effective against bacteria, not against viruses. So antibiotics only help if you have a bacterial infection of the airways as well as a viral infection. Unless there are signs of bacterial infection, there's no point in taking antibiotics.

When people are ill or need medical advice, they usually go to see their family doctor first. Information about health care in Germany can help you to navigate the German healthcare system and find a suitable doctor. You can use this list of questions to prepare for your appointment.