Man near me on train had a surgical mask in his hand....will I get sick from him? Flu

[scaredpt]

Hi all-I have a big fear of the flu. I've gotten it the past two years, both times from either being in a crowded place or public transit. I was on the train today and heard a man cough, then saw he was holding a surgical mask, like he obviously hadn't put it on but should have. what's the liklihood of me getting sick?


I left my seat and moved to another car quickly, but i'm very concerned that he had a mask but wasn't wearing it.

[AMomentofClarity]

Have you ever gone back and read through your prior post history? It would probably do you some good. Everything you need to know is right there.

[scaredpt]

To be fair, I have gotten the flu 2/2 for the past two years, despite a flu shot. last year was clearly because a lady who had been coming from the hospital where i go to school coughed on me.

[Carys]

How do you know that the man wasn't wearing the mask as he was scared of catching the flu himself ? People don't wear masks just to stop spreading things to other people - maybe he suffers from something like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or terrible asthma and needs to protect himself from the likes of you !!!:roflmao:



both times from either being in a crowded place or public transit You have absolutely NO WAY of knowing here you contracted a virus, at all, it could have been from post delivered by the postman, or a button you touched in a lift.


So, apparently you've had flu two years in a row - that's really unlucky you know, are you sure it was flu ? Anyway, if it was flu, seeing as you are here posting I guess you survived.

[AMomentofClarity]

To be fair, I have gotten the flu 2/2 for the past two years, despite a flu shot. last year was clearly because a lady who had been coming from the hospital where i go to school coughed on me.

To be more fair, you have a history of posting irrational and pointless fears. Do you have any idea how many germs you come into contact with on a day to day basis, without ever knowing? And if you do get the flu....so what. Lots of people do, you’ll survive.

[scaredpt]

Well he wasn't wearing the mask, so that's why i figured maybe he had the flu but just didn't put on the mask.

And yes, I was confirmed by testing, one year influenza A and one year B. I go to school at a hospital and take public transit multiple times a day.

[Carys]

....will I get sick from him?

Seriously, how can this question even be answered? Even if you stood next to someone coughing and spluttering with and obvious cold, how could we tell you if or if not you would contract it? Its impossible.

[Sparky16]

I've been out and about more than once with a surgical mask and cough, and I wasn't contagious. It was because I had been to the doctor about my cough, and they make everyone wear a mask if you have a cough. However, my cough is related to allergies, asthma, and acid reflux. Once I leave their office, there I am with this surgical mask, thinking "Boy, people must think I have something serious!"

If you're that prone to getting the flu have you considered getting the flu shot? I've work in the schools, so I get the shot each year. It doesn't always prevent the flu entirely, but it does make it milder.

[Danny88]

How will we know if you'll get the flu? And why worry it's not life threatening is it. Just a bad cold. Grow up

[Carys]

You absolutely can't know where you picked up the viruses, it could be literally anywhere...at the supermarket for example. Anyway, what if we said to you - YES you've probably caught it - what can you do? I suspect strongly that the man wasn't carrying a mask because he had the flu, he was probably carrying it to protect himself !

[scaredpt]

I know I've posted about this, but I, and I'm sure many others, have anxiety around the flu. What are your best strategies to deal with HA that comes with flu season?

[Carys]

There are some more replies you may not have read on your flu thread from yesterday.


What do I do? Nothing, I carry on as normal. Flu is very unpleasant as we know (I had it last winter for only the second time in my life) and whilst it was thoroughly miserable, I view that I was simply unlucky in getting it from my husband, who was unlucky in getting it originally.

[AMomentofClarity]

I know I've posted about this, but I, and I'm sure many others, have anxiety around the flu. What are your best strategies to deal with HA that comes with flu season?

Seriously , why don’t you try reading through the replies you’ve already gotten? At the end of the day, it is what it is.

[venusbluejeans]

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

Emmz

[Sparky16]

I've mentioned before that I work in the schools, so here's my advice on avoiding/coping with flu season, for you and anybody else who is interested.

1. Get the flu shot if it is available where you are. As I said, even if it doesn't entirely prevent the every strain of the flu, it usually makes the illness less severe.

2. This is really hard to remember to do, but don't touch your face when you are out in public, at work, etc. The idea is that you pick up germs on your hands, but if you don't touch your face, you don't transfer those cold/flu germs directly to your nose and eyes. I've found this actually does cut down on the number of colds I get, but it's hard for me to do, because I'm always pushing my long hair back off my face without thinking about it.

3. Don't use public drinking fountains. The number of colds I got went down dramatically after I stopped using the same drinking fountain that the children use. Yuck!

So far in 8 years in the schools I have managed to only get the influenza once, the stomach flu once, and strep throat once. Which isn't bad, considering everything that goes around. A few simple steps can help a lot.

[MyNameIsTerry]

See a mask, think flu. But what about all those people that wear them due to air quality? Are you in a city?

And what if he has a condition that he needs to protect himself from flu?

Are you anywhere near the wildfires because some people, even on here, are wearing masks due to the air quality?

[Carys]

See a mask, think flu. But what about all those people that wear them due to air quality? Are you in a city?

And what if he has a condition that he needs to protect himself from flu?


What I said in first post! :winks:It is interesting, and indicative of the way of thinking of someone severely affected by HA that they perceive themselves as centre of the circle of life, and have lost all persective on other human beings and their needs. This man might have needed to protect himself LEGITIMATELY from something in the environment and yet the assumption is being made that HE could infect YOU.