According to Dr. Chatterjee, an internist at Apollo Hospital, Delhi (India), getting the flu many times a season is not a rare phenomenon.
Here are the reasons why you can get the flu many times, even if your body has recovered from the previous flu attack.
1. variants and breakthroughs of the virus
influenza virus and other respiratory viruses such as COVID-19 are capable of changing rapidly. When you are infected with a virus, your immune system will create antibodies to protect your body. However, if the virus suddenly broke out, the body may not recognize it as the same infection.
Therefore, you can get the flu many times due to different virus strains in the same season.
2. Weak campaign
Not all immune reactions last long. Some viruses only temporarily activate immunity, which can weaken after a few weeks or months.
If your body does not develop enough sustained immunity, you can easily get infected again. In addition, factors such as stress, poor diet, lack of sleep and underlying diseases can also weaken the immune system, making you susceptible to re-infection.
3. Reactivation of the "winter- sleeping" virus
Some viruses, such as Epstein-Barr (EBV) and Herpes, can go into a "freezing" state in the body and re-activate when the immune system is weakened.
Although most flu viruses do not work this way, persistent symptoms or secondary infections can make you feel like you are sick multiple times.
4. Overlapping diseases
Occasionally, you may not get the same flu virus but a different virus. During flu season, many viruses can circulate at the same time, making you susceptible to another virus while your immune system is still recovering from the previous attack.
5. Exposure to an infected environment
The flu virus and other viruses can stay on the surface and in the air for a long time. If you are regularly exposed to crowded places such as offices, schools or public places, you will be at high risk of re-infection. Some viruses such as norovirus and adenovirus can stay on surfaces for many days, making it easy to get sick again if you do not perform proper hygiene.
6. Post-viral syndrome
Sometimes, you do not have a new infection but are just prolonged symptoms from the previous disease.
Post-viral syndrome, such as a "long-term COVID" condition, causes patients to experience fatigue, cough, stuffy nose and muscle weakness for a long time.
This can give the impression that you have the flu many times, while in fact the body is recovering from the original virus.
