‘Super Cold’ Causing Confusion Amid Escalating Covid Infections

The ‘super cold’ that Australians are experiencing may be caused by the immune system fighting off new viruses’ post-lockdown.

As pandemic rules ease across Australia, a 'super cold' is breaking out after two years of Covid isolation.

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Health experts have warned for months of more respiratory illnesses as the country re-opens, with people's immune systems encountering new viruses after a lengthy lockdown.

Not dissimilar to symptoms experienced with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the super cold first appeared in the UK in November, with people suffering flu-like or Covid-like symptoms, but repeatedly tested negative to Covid.

A likely collision of immune systems overwhelmed by a barrage of new germs, Associate Professor Dr. Ian Mackay of the University of Queensland, told Medical News Today, that our cold receptors have been on vacation.

“Some of what we may feel are ‘super colds’ might just be normal colds that we’ve simply forgotten to recognise because Australia had successfully kept them at bay during the pandemic,” he said.

“Flu may not have a big season this year, or it may. But we know it is circulating elsewhere in the world, and with travel open, I expect it will arrive, and we’ll see a very fast-moving spread of influenza"

"But we’ll also see our already busy hospitals stressed further by flu as some severe disease includes stresses on the lungs, heart, and brain,” Prof MacKay warned.

Just as Australians have done over the past two-years, the best way to prevent catching a cold is to eat a healthy and varied diet, exercise, wash hands regularly and avoid contact with anyone who is unwell.

Meanwhile, Covid cases and hospitalisations across Australia and New Zealand look like this:

Western Australia 

• New cases: 8,144 
• Covid-related deaths: 2
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 200 / 5  

Northern Territory 

• New cases: 563 
• Covid-related deaths: 0 
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 30 / 2 

Australian Capital Territory 

• New cases: 1,074   
• Covid-related deaths: 1 
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 56 / 1 

Queensland 

• New cases: 8,754
• Covid-related deaths: 4
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 590 / 16 

New South Wales 

• New cases: 17,856
• Covid-related deaths: 21
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 1,582 / 71

Victoria 

• New cases: 10,462
• Covid-related deaths: 14 
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 392 / 19

South Australia 

• New cases: 5,398
• Covid-related deaths: 1
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 238 / 11 

Tasmania 

• New cases:1,843
• Covid-related deaths: 2
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 50 / 1

New Zealand 

• New cases: 9,563
• Covid-related deaths: 16
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 528 / 278

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