Over the past few months, Australians have been asking the same question: why does it feel like everyone is getting sick? From schools to workplaces to family gatherings, it seems almost impossible to go a week without hearing about someone battling the flu, Covid, or RSV. This year, the wave of illness has been real \u2014 and unusually relentless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Health experts confirm it isn\u2019t just perception. Influenza, Covid-19, RSV, and even the common cold have overlapped this year, creating a perfect storm of viral infections. The result: crowded GP clinics, longer hospital waits, and households where sickness seems to rotate from one family member to the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Epidemiologist Dr. Catherine Bennett from Deakin University explained why this year has felt different. \u201cThe influenza season peaked later and lasted longer than usual,\u201d she said. \u201cWe saw cases climb from late June, peak in mid-August, and only slowly decline into spring.\u201d That late surge meant that winter illnesses lingered well into October, keeping infection levels unusually high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But influenza wasn\u2019t alone. Covid and RSV were circulating simultaneously, and environmental factors \u2014 colder weather, increased travel, and social interactions \u2014 only helped viruses spread. \u201cIt\u2019s not just one virus,\u201d Dr. Bennett emphasized. \u201cIt\u2019s the overlap that makes it feel like sickness is everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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While the worst may be behind us, infections remain above normal. Professor Peter Collignon from Australian National University reassured the public: \u201cViruses never disappear completely, but we should see cases steadily drop by mid- to late-October as warmer weather slows transmission.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vaccination could have helped. But uptake has fallen: influenza vaccine coverage is just 30.5%, down from previous years, and Covid booster rates have also dropped. The consequences are clear \u2014 in Queensland, more than 77,900 flu cases<\/strong> have been recorded so far this year, with 84% in unvaccinated individuals. Even the common cold surged, with over 6,300 new cases in a single week in NSW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Doctors have seen the human cost firsthand. Dr. Philip Britton, an infectious disease physician at The Children\u2019s Hospital at Westmead, called it \u201ctragic\u201d to see children in intensive care with preventable illnesses. \u201cPeople are tired after the pandemic,\u201d he said, \u201cbut these are illnesses we can prevent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n GP visits and hospital data reinforce the picture: consultations for flu-like symptoms have remained well above the five-year average, particularly in Queensland and New South Wales. Families have felt the impact, too \u2014 missed work, short-staffed businesses, and school absenteeism have disrupted daily life across the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The answer is simple: they are. Multiple viruses peaked simultaneously, vaccination rates are low, and the flu season lingered longer than expected. Australians have endured a winter of illness unlike recent years \u2014 and the experience has been exhausting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Experts emphasize practical steps to protect yourself and your community:<\/p>\n\n\n\n As temperatures rise, the wave of illness will ease, giving Australians a chance to breathe easier. But the lessons of 2025 remain: viruses don\u2019t wait, and public health depends on all of us. Planning ahead, vaccinating, and staying vigilant can prevent the next season from feeling just as relentless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have you or your family been affected by the recent wave of sickness? Share your experiences and tips to help others stay healthy this season.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Over the past few months, Australians have been asking the same question: why does it feel like everyone is getting…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2035,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/sirbenet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/sirbenet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/sirbenet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/sirbenet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/sirbenet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2034"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/sirbenet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2036,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/sirbenet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2034\/revisions\/2036"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/sirbenet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2035"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/sirbenet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/sirbenet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/sirbenet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Why It Feels Like Everyone Is Sick<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Looking Ahead<\/h3>\n\n\n\n