Anonymous
Post 01/13/2026 09:18     Subject: Were we always sick like this in past decades?
Anonymous wrote:When my now teenagers were toddlers and were sick with strep they picked up from daycare, I had a phone conversation with my grandmother and she said that her kids were never sick like my kids seem to be, they either recovered right away or died.

She didn't say that to be extreme, she had six kids, one of whom died of pneumonia at 18 months old.


That really is the truth of it. Kids who were sickly or vulnerable (e.g. preemies, asthmatics, B twins) just didn’t live long. Even if the care was available, most people couldn’t afford it. It was cheaper to just let some kids die and hope your next one was more sturdy.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2026 09:07     Subject: Were we always sick like this in past decades?
I had strep and earaches a lot as a child. I come from a large family. I did not have chicken pox though till I was a teenager and I had a really bad case. My husband got chicken pox in medical school and they his professor took photos. He had them on his eyeballs. Terrible. Thank goodness we have vaccine now.

My children were rarely sick.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2026 09:07     Subject: Were we always sick like this in past decades?
When my now teenagers were toddlers and were sick with strep they picked up from daycare, I had a phone conversation with my grandmother and she said that her kids were never sick like my kids seem to be, they either recovered right away or died.

She didn't say that to be extreme, she had six kids, one of whom died of pneumonia at 18 months old.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2026 09:00     Subject: Were we always sick like this in past decades?
I was sick a lot growing up despite being thin (normal BMI thin), playing sports and spending time outside. My immune system was done because I didn't sleep well. Had a very volatile and unpredictable mom which stressed me out. We ate a lot of processed food and she was stingy with fruits and vegetables for anyone but herself despite the fact dad was a high earner. She needed her "me" time so if we were really sick and had a fever rather keep us home, she drugged us up and sent us to school which made it harder to fight off anything.

These days now that the kids are past early elementary we rarely get sick. We eat really healthy, get OK sleep and there is rarely any drama in our house unless the teens bring it.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 20:10     Subject: Were we always sick like this in past decades?
I think when looking at population data you can't overlook decreased physical activity and obesity. Obesity is known to weaken the immune system as is lack of physical activity:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6523821/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831323001412#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20immune%20cells,infection%20(16%2C%2017).


Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 20:00     Subject: Were we always sick like this in past decades?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’m in my late 30s, and my kids, and our whole household, seem to be sick for about two weeks at a time, at least twice every winter. They’re otherwise very healthy, active kids, and we all get flu shots. It doesn’t seem unique to our family either; my coworkers’ kids and my friends’ kids all seem to be constantly sick as well.

I don’t remember being sick this often when I was a kid, and my parents didn’t seem to get sick much either, though maybe memory plays a role. My parents have also said we weren't sick like this, nor were they sick like this as kids. I grew up in Miami, so I wonder if we were less affected by seasonal illnesses there. I remember having strep throat and some kind of enterovirus, but I don’t remember getting the flu every single winter. Are flu and common colds actually worse now than when I was growing up, or does it just feel that way?


everyone is more sick now after covid, it wrecked our immune systems

but no one wants to talk about this


I don't think COVID is any worse on our immune systems than any other virus. However, it's another highly contagious virus, like the flu, that you can get multiple times a year.


It’s well documented that COVID does weaken the immune system, making us more vulnerable to other viruses. A simple google search will yield many links, but here is one;

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/study-covid-can-trigger-changes-immune-system-may-underlie-persistent-symptoms


So do all viruses. COVID is not unique in this respect.


Rhinovirus does not increase the odds that you will get an autoimmune disease thereafter. So COVID is a standout, even if it's not unique.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2026 20:53     Subject: Re:Were we always sick like this in past decades?
Im 40 and never missed a day of school from being sick in all of elementary school. Had chickenpox as a toddler, ear infections as an infant. Overall just never gotten sick a lot despite as an adult living in rural sub-Saharan Africa (basic stuff their but mainly just gastro-intestinal, few UTIs). Never got COVID.

Now I have a toddler and we have gotten sick 1-2x a year- strep, flu- but that's about it. He has had like 3 ear infections total.

Really hoping to stay lucky. We spend alot of time outside and try to eat healthy, but I think some of it is just genetics and luck.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2026 17:34     Subject: Were we always sick like this in past decades?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’m in my late 30s, and my kids, and our whole household, seem to be sick for about two weeks at a time, at least twice every winter. They’re otherwise very healthy, active kids, and we all get flu shots. It doesn’t seem unique to our family either; my coworkers’ kids and my friends’ kids all seem to be constantly sick as well.

I don’t remember being sick this often when I was a kid, and my parents didn’t seem to get sick much either, though maybe memory plays a role. My parents have also said we weren't sick like this, nor were they sick like this as kids. I grew up in Miami, so I wonder if we were less affected by seasonal illnesses there. I remember having strep throat and some kind of enterovirus, but I don’t remember getting the flu every single winter. Are flu and common colds actually worse now than when I was growing up, or does it just feel that way?


everyone is more sick now after covid, it wrecked our immune systems

but no one wants to talk about this


I don't think COVID is any worse on our immune systems than any other virus. However, it's another highly contagious virus, like the flu, that you can get multiple times a year.


It’s well documented that COVID does weaken the immune system, making us more vulnerable to other viruses. A simple google search will yield many links, but here is one;

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/study-covid-can-trigger-changes-immune-system-may-underlie-persistent-symptoms


So do all viruses. COVID is not unique in this respect.


Measles is particularly concerning: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/search/research-news/7353/


It's probably not a good idea for your immune system to relearn some of these immunities. As you get older, you become more suspectible to cytokine storms.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2026 17:15     Subject: Were we always sick like this in past decades?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’m in my late 30s, and my kids, and our whole household, seem to be sick for about two weeks at a time, at least twice every winter. They’re otherwise very healthy, active kids, and we all get flu shots. It doesn’t seem unique to our family either; my coworkers’ kids and my friends’ kids all seem to be constantly sick as well.

I don’t remember being sick this often when I was a kid, and my parents didn’t seem to get sick much either, though maybe memory plays a role. My parents have also said we weren't sick like this, nor were they sick like this as kids. I grew up in Miami, so I wonder if we were less affected by seasonal illnesses there. I remember having strep throat and some kind of enterovirus, but I don’t remember getting the flu every single winter. Are flu and common colds actually worse now than when I was growing up, or does it just feel that way?


everyone is more sick now after covid, it wrecked our immune systems

but no one wants to talk about this


I want to talk about this and I think there is a lot of science people/biologists/doctors on here to discuss.


I do too. If these discussions are getting banned, it’s probably because people are blaming the Covid vaccine for anything and everything that’s wrong with them, even where there are much more plausible reasons for their ailments.

I just saw one raw milk influencer blame a Covid shot she didn’t even get for her Guillain Barre Syndrome, even though GBS is most often caused by an infection with a bacteria found in raw milk. Her doctor “didn’t care” that she drank raw milk. Sure, Jan.

Others are blaming it for their type 2 diabetes (advanced age and decades of poor diet apparently had nothing to do with it), perimenopause symptoms, digestive problems, their kids inheriting the low intelligence or autism their parents clearly have - the works. One local uber-Catholic nut was prepared to let her baby die if she couldn’t find “pure” donor blood untainted by the Covid vaccine. I mean, the derangement is insane.


I work in a blood bank and the blood bags have different colored stickers on them which everyone thinks means this. They literally mean nothing and are just to help avoid mixing up donors. There is no pre-donor question about whether the donor ever got a covid shot.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2026 16:45     Subject: Were we always sick like this in past decades?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’m in my late 30s, and my kids, and our whole household, seem to be sick for about two weeks at a time, at least twice every winter. They’re otherwise very healthy, active kids, and we all get flu shots. It doesn’t seem unique to our family either; my coworkers’ kids and my friends’ kids all seem to be constantly sick as well.

I don’t remember being sick this often when I was a kid, and my parents didn’t seem to get sick much either, though maybe memory plays a role. My parents have also said we weren't sick like this, nor were they sick like this as kids. I grew up in Miami, so I wonder if we were less affected by seasonal illnesses there. I remember having strep throat and some kind of enterovirus, but I don’t remember getting the flu every single winter. Are flu and common colds actually worse now than when I was growing up, or does it just feel that way?


everyone is more sick now after covid, it wrecked our immune systems

but no one wants to talk about this


I think people really want to talk about this, but the discussions always get deleted.


I just don't think it's true. I believe some people have post-viral issues after Covid, but I also think people had post-viral issues after flu or RSV even before Covid. I don't think there is any evidence that people as a whole have weakened immune systems after Covid, or that people get sick more frequently now. I'm not talking about anecdotal evidence -- I mean if you look CDC data on flu cases and deaths before and after Covid, you see that the years since Covid have been in keeping with prior year averages: https://www.cdc.gov/flu-burden/php/data-vis/past-seasons.html

I think Covid made people hyper aware of viral illness. Prior to Covid I think don't think people thought much of everyone in the family getting a cold or norovirus beyond "wow this sucks." But people accepted it was inevitable at least some of the time and didn't go looking for broad societal trends. They were just like "yeah the whole family was sick the last two weeks, it sucked."
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2026 16:25     Subject: Were we always sick like this in past decades?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’m in my late 30s, and my kids, and our whole household, seem to be sick for about two weeks at a time, at least twice every winter. They’re otherwise very healthy, active kids, and we all get flu shots. It doesn’t seem unique to our family either; my coworkers’ kids and my friends’ kids all seem to be constantly sick as well.

I don’t remember being sick this often when I was a kid, and my parents didn’t seem to get sick much either, though maybe memory plays a role. My parents have also said we weren't sick like this, nor were they sick like this as kids. I grew up in Miami, so I wonder if we were less affected by seasonal illnesses there. I remember having strep throat and some kind of enterovirus, but I don’t remember getting the flu every single winter. Are flu and common colds actually worse now than when I was growing up, or does it just feel that way?


everyone is more sick now after covid, it wrecked our immune systems

but no one wants to talk about this


I don't think COVID is any worse on our immune systems than any other virus. However, it's another highly contagious virus, like the flu, that you can get multiple times a year.


It’s well documented that COVID does weaken the immune system, making us more vulnerable to other viruses. A simple google search will yield many links, but here is one;

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/study-covid-can-trigger-changes-immune-system-may-underlie-persistent-symptoms


So do all viruses. COVID is not unique in this respect.


Measles is particularly concerning: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/search/research-news/7353/
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2026 16:15     Subject: Were we always sick like this in past decades?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’m in my late 30s, and my kids, and our whole household, seem to be sick for about two weeks at a time, at least twice every winter. They’re otherwise very healthy, active kids, and we all get flu shots. It doesn’t seem unique to our family either; my coworkers’ kids and my friends’ kids all seem to be constantly sick as well.

I don’t remember being sick this often when I was a kid, and my parents didn’t seem to get sick much either, though maybe memory plays a role. My parents have also said we weren't sick like this, nor were they sick like this as kids. I grew up in Miami, so I wonder if we were less affected by seasonal illnesses there. I remember having strep throat and some kind of enterovirus, but I don’t remember getting the flu every single winter. Are flu and common colds actually worse now than when I was growing up, or does it just feel that way?


everyone is more sick now after covid, it wrecked our immune systems

but no one wants to talk about this


I don't think COVID is any worse on our immune systems than any other virus. However, it's another highly contagious virus, like the flu, that you can get multiple times a year.


It’s well documented that COVID does weaken the immune system, making us more vulnerable to other viruses. A simple google search will yield many links, but here is one;

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/study-covid-can-trigger-changes-immune-system-may-underlie-persistent-symptoms


So do all viruses. COVID is not unique in this respect.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2026 16:12     Subject: Were we always sick like this in past decades?
Anonymous wrote:Yes we were. It's the little kids and school. More moms stayed home so less daycare meaning fewer contacts for many kids as well.


Also, daycare.

Yes, I had a SAH mom and I am a SAHM too. I wasn't sick, and my kids were not sick. Mainly because if I saw my kids were even slightly unwell, I can afford to keep them home for a couple of days and nurse them back to health. So, their minor illness never progresses to 2 week long illness.

Families are having a tough time in the US because no working person can afford to take a couple days off to let the kids recover from minor ailments. They are just dosing them with Tylenol and sending them off to school.

Terrible quality of life.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2026 16:08     Subject: Were we always sick like this in past decades?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’m in my late 30s, and my kids, and our whole household, seem to be sick for about two weeks at a time, at least twice every winter. They’re otherwise very healthy, active kids, and we all get flu shots. It doesn’t seem unique to our family either; my coworkers’ kids and my friends’ kids all seem to be constantly sick as well.

I don’t remember being sick this often when I was a kid, and my parents didn’t seem to get sick much either, though maybe memory plays a role. My parents have also said we weren't sick like this, nor were they sick like this as kids. I grew up in Miami, so I wonder if we were less affected by seasonal illnesses there. I remember having strep throat and some kind of enterovirus, but I don’t remember getting the flu every single winter. Are flu and common colds actually worse now than when I was growing up, or does it just feel that way?


everyone is more sick now after covid, it wrecked our immune systems

but no one wants to talk about this


I don't think COVID is any worse on our immune systems than any other virus. However, it's another highly contagious virus, like the flu, that you can get multiple times a year.


It’s well documented that COVID does weaken the immune system, making us more vulnerable to other viruses. A simple google search will yield many links, but here is one;

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/study-covid-can-trigger-changes-immune-system-may-underlie-persistent-symptoms
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2026 15:48     Subject: Were we always sick like this in past decades?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’m in my late 30s, and my kids, and our whole household, seem to be sick for about two weeks at a time, at least twice every winter. They’re otherwise very healthy, active kids, and we all get flu shots. It doesn’t seem unique to our family either; my coworkers’ kids and my friends’ kids all seem to be constantly sick as well.

I don’t remember being sick this often when I was a kid, and my parents didn’t seem to get sick much either, though maybe memory plays a role. My parents have also said we weren't sick like this, nor were they sick like this as kids. I grew up in Miami, so I wonder if we were less affected by seasonal illnesses there. I remember having strep throat and some kind of enterovirus, but I don’t remember getting the flu every single winter. Are flu and common colds actually worse now than when I was growing up, or does it just feel that way?


everyone is more sick now after covid, it wrecked our immune systems

but no one wants to talk about this


I don't think COVID is any worse on our immune systems than any other virus. However, it's another highly contagious virus, like the flu, that you can get multiple times a year.