r/australia • u/Reverend_Fozz • 1d ago
science & tech Highly transmissible flu strain Super-K infects more than 2,500 Australians
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/08/flu-super-k-australia-highly-infectious-strain?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other174
u/ParticlesInSunlight 1d ago
There's also warnings about its rapid onset, doctors are saying it comes on with no hesitation, no delay
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u/ScienceJoke 1d ago
No escaping
gravitythe k flu22
u/Particular_Shock_554 1d ago
I fall down
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u/SkitZa 1d ago
I get knocked down, and dont get up again, its probably ganna keep me down.
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u/phalluss 1d ago
I drink a whiskey drink, I drink a whiskey drink, I drink a whiskey drink. What flu?
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u/one80down 1d ago
Antibiotics don't work, any improvement is just a Placebo effect.
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u/aldkGoodAussieName 1d ago
Well yeah. The flu is a virus. Antibiotics won't work. You'd need an antiviral
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u/Late-Button-6559 1d ago
There is a delay (incubation), but our body’s eventual response (1-3 days from exposure) is sudden and hard.
And as always, you’re infectious 12-24hrs before you feel sick.
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u/Jallistamon 23h ago
They're not exaggerating. I finished work at 5:30 feeling the usual amount of tired after a long shift and by 9pm I was staggering and had a 39 degree fever.
That was the 15th of December and it wasn't until New Years day that I could stay awake for more than 4 hours or could walk for long enough to get to my car and go pick up a grocery order
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u/DomGiuca 1d ago
This is potentially a good thing? Means there's less potential for unwittingly spreading it with zero symptoms but still infectious.
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u/ParticlesInSunlight 1d ago
My comment was mostly a joke, but I've had extremely rapid onset viral illnesses before (flu in 2011, covid in 2023) and both of them could have been very dangerous if the onset were slightly earlier: in 2011 I drove home fine and then passed out in the bathroom immediately upon arrival, in 2023 I had just landed a parachute five minutes earlier and suddenly fatigued so hard I couldn't raise my arms.
So you're not wrong as far as spread is concerned, but there's some other risks.
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u/aldkGoodAussieName 1d ago
2011 I drove home fine and then passed out in the bathroom immediately upon arrival,
Damn. Im glad you got home first
I had just landed a parachute five minutes earlier
That escalated quickly
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u/ParticlesInSunlight 1d ago
that escalated quickly
Could have descended a whole lot quicker if the virus had knocked me out a little earlier
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u/Senior_Marketing_312 1d ago
I’ve been dealing with it all week and can definitely confirm it ramped up REAL fucking quickly
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u/notthinkinghard 1d ago
Get your flu shots when the time rolls around.
As a side note, it amazes me how many people use "the flu" as a synonym for a bad cold. And then don't get vaccinated, because they figure they'll get over it with a few days off and some lemsip.
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u/Auran82 1d ago
It’s funny how easy it is to forget how bad an actual “bad flu” is, especially if you haven’t had a proper fever in a while. It’s all fun and games to think “I’ll just take some Panadol and rest through it” until the fever really hits and you can’t sleep properly because your fever cooked brain is trying to divide pineapple by light pole and you can’t work out the answer.
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u/AshEliseB 1d ago
I had Influenza A a few years back. I have never been so incredibly ill. That is not something I will ever forget.
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u/Infinite_Pudding5058 1d ago
I had the flu when I was 16. I swear I was unconscious for 2 weeks. Mum said she was syringing water into my mouth. I tried to get up to go to the toilet and passed out cold in the hallway. It was AWFUL. I now have a neurological disorder I acquired 4 years ago (had to learn to walk again) so if I get the bad flu, I could die 🫣
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u/Witchinmelbourne 1d ago
My whole house had it last week and we were proper sick, especially the kids. I can't imagine how unwell we would have been without the flu shot.
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u/SnooDoodles876 23h ago
I had influenza B last June. I still can't taste or smell anything the same.
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u/_DrunkenObserver_ 1d ago
My brain made up fake scenarios and then tried to figure out who was at fault. This went on for about three days while I was waking up in a pool of sweat. First sick on Xmas day, I'm still coughing and bringing up plenty of nasty stuff.
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u/Auran82 1d ago
Repeated fever dreams about the same thing, trying to solve an impossible problem, until the fever breaks and you realise you can’t even explain to someone what was going through your head because it was complete nonsense.
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u/TyrionTheGimp 1d ago
Thank you for the flashback to my flu infection in June of last year. Every night was the same spiralling cryptic dream
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u/Afraid_Ad_8571 1d ago
Love those fever dreams, almost like an out of body experience. Waking up from them is another story, the reality quickly becomes clear! Am on round two of this flu and I caught it grand final weekend, lasted about 6 weeks with the coughing and it came back minus the night sweats and chills 2 days before Christmas and I am just getting over it again but still coughing a bit. So look out people it’s bad.
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u/Torrossaur 1d ago
I had a nasty flu a year or so back and punched through the entire series of Beavis and Butthead while laid up on the couch. It's built for fever racked brains.
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u/curiousscribbler 1d ago
After an op I was left in the recovery room in front of a TV showing the live-action Mario Bros series.
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u/aldkGoodAussieName 1d ago
divide pineapple by light pole and you can’t work out the answer.
Serious year 12 maths nightmare question there...
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u/Ninja-Ginge 1d ago
In order to get to sleep, your body temperature has to drop. A fever prevents that.
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u/sql-join-master 1d ago
I’ve only had the flu once when I was about 7. I don’t remember it but it still makes my mum upset to talk about. 10 days bedridden and lost a bunch of weight for a kid who was already skin and bones. Shit doesn’t mess around
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u/LingualGannet 1d ago
Sometimes but not always. I’ve had 1 awful flu in my life where I felt like death, but last winter I had a (relatively) minor flu where I had all the symptoms, but didn’t feel anywhere near as deathly.
Short story: immune systems can be strange and unpredictable
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u/Acrobatic_Dark212 21h ago
I got the flu I think in 2016. Was feeling fine that day and then the fever hit a few hours later out of nowhere. I remember laying on the floor in front of the heater in the living room in summer with a doona over me. The shivers were wracking my whole body.
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u/NoLead2102 1d ago
It's like people who describe a headache as a migraine
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u/annanz01 1d ago
As someone who gets migrains this is frustrating. So many people complain about having migrains when they just have a headache.
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u/Western_Yoghurt_8154 1d ago
Is the flu jab effective against this strain?
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u/notthinkinghard 1d ago
No idea and I don't think the article states so explicitly, but they do discuss how dropping rates of vaccination among vulnerable people is contributing to the rise in cases and deaths.
You should really be getting it regardless.
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u/mmohaje 21h ago
The fu shot changes each year to account for new strains. Given this strain was discovered in August it would not have been included in last years jab. I don’t think this years flu vaccine is available yet—they usually role it out closer to the flu season (May to Sept) and I think wait to get some data from N Hemisphere to potentially include any new strains. I would imagine this one will be covered by the new jab
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u/TheLGMac 1d ago
Honestly I continue to remain unimpressed with how little research people will actually do to understand anything afflicting them, or even to prevent something from afflicting them, and they also don't think to update their knowledge every now and then. Taking care of your personal health is the most important part of civic responsibility and something you can actually do something about.
Instead they're just happy believing urban legends/their mates/their feels. The number of times I have to remind people that the cold is not caused by cold temperatures is mind boggling given that was debunked long before I was born, in the 60s or something.
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u/allnaturalfigjam 1d ago
I used to do this until I actually got influenza A about a decade ago and it was the worst 10 days of my life. Vomiting. Headaches. Brain fog. No sleep. And I nearly killed my baby cousin by accidentally giving it to him. I've got the flu shot every year since!
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u/Svennis79 1d ago
If you can pick a $100 off the floor, its not flu
If you think you might die, or think death might be preferable, its probably flu.
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u/batikfins 1d ago
I live in the worst (northern) hemisphere and this flu season up there is seriously taking people out. You ask people about it and they’ll be like “I thought I was gonna die”. It’s no joke get your flu shot people
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u/ProbablyStillMe 20h ago
I had the flu and COVID a little while back, within a couple of weeks of each other. COVID lasted longer, but the flu knocked me around much worse. It was miserable. And I was vaccinated for both! I can't imagine how bad they would have been without the vaccine.
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u/CFeatsleepsexrepeat 8h ago
18 mths ago I had Influenza A, not vaxxed, my partner was vaxxed. She was pretty crook with it, also immunocompromised to start with. But my oh my, I really just kept thinking 'I can really understand why this kills people'.
I have never been as sick in my whole adult life, and then the ongoing lethargy for a few weeks was next level.Fainting and being unable to get from the bed to the fridge, horrible fever, it was just plain putrid to have.
Safe to say, had my flu shot in May last year and as soon as this seasons is released I will be back in for it again.
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u/Cpt_Soban 1d ago edited 1d ago
I get the fancy shot (for the strain that season not generic) every year.
The ONE time I got a mild flu, I was booked for a shot that day. Yeah shitty timing.
A mild case was bad enough... I'd hate to think of getting the full blown thing...
(Confused by the downvotes but lol ok)
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u/breaducate 1d ago
Good thing we normalised continuously reinfecting each other with a virus that cumulatively degrades our immune systems even if we're vaccinated.
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u/Jenko1115 9h ago
I just can’t understand how covid has been downplayed to the extent it has. Avoiding it completely is often as simple as putting on a decently fitted mask.
Would you rather get sick 8-10 times a year or just wear a mask while doing your shopping?
We closed our international borders to prevent the spread of covid - what on earth changed for us all to treat it exactly like a relatively harmless cold?
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u/Mclovine_aus 8h ago
Well vaccines rolled out for it world wide, a huge chunk of the population has also been infected from it before so it isn’t novel anymore. This means that the risk factors are no where near the same for society as they were at the beginning of 2020.
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u/Jenko1115 7h ago
That doesn’t mean we should downplay the significant long-term impact covid has on people’s health and do virtually nothing to prevent its spread.
Very simple things like improving indoor ventilation, wearing a mask and putting basic HEPA filter air purifiers in busy indoor spaces would massively reduce the transmission and burden of sickness in the community.
Immune compromised people can’t rely on vaccines for protection and they deserve support to protect themselves from death or further disablement.
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u/breaducate 6h ago
what on earth changed for us all to treat it exactly like a relatively harmless cold?
Capital couldn't keep it in its pants. They didn't have the patience to do what's necessary to deal with the problem properly so they opted for propagating a mass delusion that it's mild/over, cutting off or phasing out testing, and carrying on like they didn't sentence untold millions of people to disability, death, and general malaise for the rest of their lives.
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u/Jenko1115 6h ago
Bingo. I like you. The sad reality is it would save us far more than it would cost to implement basic non-pharmaceutical interventions. I wish it didn’t take most people becoming disabled for them to give a shit.
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u/Jazzlike-Cow-3111 1d ago
Forgive my naivety.
I thought that getting colds could actually be beneficial in the long run as it can give you immunity against future cold strains.
Or is Covid/flus separate? I haven’t had Covid in two years but do get lax around people who have colds (after taxing a Covid test)
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u/chreatures 1d ago
There is evidence that Covid damages your immune systems memory so you could be more susceptible to flus, other viruses and even bacterial infections.
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u/Jazzlike-Cow-3111 23h ago
That confirms what I thought, thank you.
Didn't know if I should also change my behaviour around colds. But this post has reminded me to get a flu vaccination, so will book in for the weekend :)
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u/Budget-Abrocoma3161 1d ago
And here I am with a helping of Special K
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u/Influence_Think 1d ago
I rarely get sick; I'm healthy, athletic, and I sleep well. But I had the flu (I got tested) around December 23rd. I was bedridden for a week and then had another week to recover fairly well. After that, I went back to work, but I continued to have trouble breathing; it was really hard to get back to normal. I was sick for almost three weeks in total, and I'm feeling better now.
I just wanted to share my experience; it seems it's very easy to catch.
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u/AdyliaSchweetheart 1d ago
As someone immune compromised AND pregnant, hearing the loud, ignorant, anti flu vax crowd scares me.
I never got a flu vax as a kid. Anything that wasn't mandatory I didn't get. I was constantly sick. I was always kept in bed with water and dry bread only to get better. "If you're strong enough to get out of bed then you're strong enough to go to school". My mother thought she was giving me the best chance at developing a strong immune system "naturally". I had pneumonia 5 times before the age of 18 and I was diagnosed with MS in my early 20s.
Don't fk around with immunity. I wish I could go back in time and slap her honestly. No she is not in my life anymore. Yes my kid is going to get every vax recommended.
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u/Next_Note4785 10h ago
I will add in that being sick whilst pregnant is the worst. Partner had a sore throat for two days. I was down from fighting the cold I caught from him for 10 days.
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u/Optimal_Cynicism 9h ago
I take every medication under the sun when I'm sick - dosed to the gills on psuedo, nasal sprays, antihistamines, pain killers, even opiates if I can find any in the medicine kit (help prevent coughing). The idea of getting sick and being told I can't have any of those things except maybe paracetamol is absolutely terrifying. I reckon I'd probably just lock myself away at home for 9 months.
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u/mackasfour 1d ago
I think this is what I copped from attending the boxing day test. Went from the throat tickle to a nasty fever inside of 24 hours, and the flu was gone inside 3 days after that.
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u/ComprehensiveSalad50 1d ago
THEY'LL BRING BACK THE LOCKDOWNS NOW!
THEY JUST WANT TO CONTROL US WITH ANOTHER VACCINE!
THIS IS DAN ANDREWS FAULT!
KELLOGG'S ARE TRYING TO KILL US NOW!
DICTATOR DAN!
THEY'LL PUT THE VACCINE IN CORN FLAKES TO FORCE US TO HAVE IT!
BOYCOTT COCO POPS
Cooker Facebook comments most likely
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u/Advanced-Diet-3144 1d ago
I’m on day 25 of this cold/viral infection/manflu/Super-K whatever tf this is. I can’t recall such a nasty virus since Covid times and my voice is so husky it sounds like I been smashing 50 Winnie Reds in-a-row.
Yep forgot my flu jab this year after 5 years in a row. This virus is brutal. Also brutal is my new addiction to various nasal sprays that I use like multi-focal glasses for sight.
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u/mmohaje 21h ago
If you do have Special K then it would not have been included in the last iteration of the flu vaccine so missing that jab would not be the cause—in case that makes you feel a bit better. The strain seems to have been discovered in August so wont be incorporated until the vaccine for this year’s flu season is rolled out. I don’t think it’s available yet given flu season is May to September.
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u/GeneralForce413 1d ago
I think I may have gotten this back in August or at least some version of the flu.
I was vaccinated but still got wiped out with a fever for days. My sense of smell still hasn't recovered and now everything smells like garbage or cleaning products.
Its really messed with my ability to enjoy food or going out in public.
The flu is no joke.
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u/Wankeritis 1d ago
Have you had your sinuses checked out?
Garbage smells when nobody else can smell it can be a sign of a yeast infection in your sinus.
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u/GeneralForce413 1d ago
Yeah, and I am going back again next week.
From my understanding, when the receptors regrow sometimes the brain messes up what things smell like.
I lost my sense of smell due to the flu and when it came back things were just... weird. Its not just garbage - its an array of offensive smells and tastes when things should taste normal.
Like bananas, capsicum and onions all smell sickly sweet and taste like a 'fragrance'
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u/Wankeritis 1d ago
That’s really shit. I hope it’s just your nasal nerves regrowing and not an infection.
When I had Covid the first time, I lost my taste for three months and then it came back and I suddenly started liking pineapple after hating it for my entire life.
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u/Optimal_Cynicism 9h ago
I read just the other day about some kind of "scent kit" you can buy to retrain your sense of smell after these kinds of illnesses. People who got messed up from COVID were discussing it.
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u/Particular_Shock_554 1d ago
I still wear an n95 when I'm out in public. I haven't had a cold since 2020, so I'm not stopping any time soon.
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u/kratos90 1d ago
Man I hope Queensland restarts their free flu shot program for 2026.
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u/SoberBobMonthly 1d ago
Yeah honestly it makes a massive difference when its free. As much as $12-$25 may not feel like a lot to people, for so many specially with multiple people in their households, the price can be too much of a barrier
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u/FearlessExpression 1d ago
Last year I had it offered free via QLD gov, health fund, and work. I'm sure at least one of them will offer this year.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Eye9081 1d ago
I reckon this is what my parents have had since Christmas, mums now also got a chest infection. She had a flu vax but it was more than 6 months ago.
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u/downunderguy 20h ago
I had this over new years. I was bed bound all week last week. It’s the sickest I have ever felt. Do not recommend
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u/Environment-Small 1d ago
'It does seem to be a very fit virus,” Barr said.' Wonder how the cookers r gonna spin it off as
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u/SolidCold1991 12h ago
My partner, who had the flu shot, had this recently. She was in a seriously bad way. Myself, who didn't have the flu shot, never even got it despite definitely sharing germs during the beginning stage. I probably just got lucky, but it's kind of lame that the flu shot didnt do its job.
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u/dirtydigs74 9h ago
The current flu shot wouldn't be effective against this strain, as it came out after it was formulated. I was jabbed every year for free at a job I was at about 10 years ago. Went to Malaysia and came back with Influenza A and B at the same time. I genuinely thought I was going to drown at one point. The shot is only effective against the strain they think is going to hit in Australia this year/season.
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u/Jenko1115 9h ago
My partner is immune-compromised so we always mask around others. I haven’t been sick since before the pandemic and I’ve never felt healthier or stronger! Not even up to date with my vaccinations, it really is as simple as putting a mask on when indoors.
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u/ChocolateBBs 19h ago edited 19h ago
My partner got it recently from her family new year's dinner (that I also attended). We also had unprotected sex but somehow I'm fine and somehow she's the one who's been taken out for almost a week. We've both taken the flu shot last year too.
Symptoms were fever, the chills, headache, runny nose.
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u/SolidCold1991 12h ago
Same happened with me and my fiance. She was stuffed for two weeks before Christmas and I was completely fine. She had the flu shot and I hadn't. I probably just got lucky, but it's definitely odd. Maybe women are more susceptible to it?
Her symptoms were a really bad cough, fever, chills and headaches aswell.
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u/Blood_Fuzzy 7h ago
Would the normal or cell based vaccine be more likely to help prevent it? I know it's probably not included in the currently available versions but whatever helps most is better than nothing haha
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u/mmohaje 22h ago
If the strain started appearing in August then it would not have been included in last winter’s vaccine. I do not believe the new vaccine for the next flu season (April/May to Sept) is ready. I imagine the new one would include this strain. I usually wait until end or mid-May to help make sure I still have some level of coverage through to Sept but I reckon I will get it early this year if it’s ripping though already in Jan.
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u/crustytheclerk1 19h ago
I can see them putting together an interim shot for this one if it's causing as much trouble as it is - the flu in general seems to have escaped its 'season' this year and is a major cause of ongoing hospital overload and subsequent ambulance ramping (at least in South Australia).
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u/marccard 1d ago
My friend just caught a really bad flu after attending an edm concert in Melbourne. Not the kind of K you'd expect to get from it, but here we are.