A growing number of Scots are coming down with the ‘worst cold ever’ as the country continues to grow used to life beyond lockdown.
After a lengthy period of staying at home, it appears the safety measures have battered our immune systems as hundreds complain of a nasty bug going around.
And a lot of chat around this mystery illness grew from August 9, when the last remaining Covid restrictions were lifted.
Nightclubs reopened, football stadiums are full once again and social distancing was ended from this point.
This means that we’ve been hugging strangers a little bit more than previously over the past 18 months.
But it appears that the new freedoms have come at a cost, judging by the reaction from Scots on Twitter.
One person wrote: “I might have been bored in lockdown, but at least I wasn’t ill. F**k this cold going about.”
Another commented: “Had that cold that everyone has been moaning about but it wasn’t too bad, felt better today..but then having walked 5+ miles today, I now feel terrible.”
A third commented: “This non-Covid cold that’s going about is absolutely killing me…send help.”
One GP confirmed that the cold that is going about is a result of the country getting used to life beyond lockdowns.
London-based Dr Philippa Kaye told the BBC last month: “We’ve actually been seeing a rise in the number of coughs and colds and viral infections.
“We are mixing in a way that we haven’t been mixing over the past 18 months.”
The NHS says the best way to combat a cold is to rest well, keep warm, drink plenty of water and to gargle salt water if you have a sore throat.
Scots can also buy a range of cough and cold medicines from pharmacies and supermarkets.
If your symptoms get worse or do not improve after three weeks then you should have a word with you local GP.
And if you have any symptoms of coronavirus, then you should book a PCR test as soon as you can.
The most common symptoms of Covid include a continuous cough, fever and a loss of taste or smell.
