Flu symptoms hit you suddenly and sometimes severely. They usually include fever, chills, headaches and aching muscles, and you can often get a cough and sore throat at the same time.

Flu is caused by viruses and not bacteria, so antibiotics won’t treat it.

People sometimes think a bad cold is flu, but having flu can be much worse than a cold and you may need to stay in bed for a few days if you have flu.

Actions to protect yourself

Hand hygiene is recognised as the single most important activity for minimising the risk of infection.