EVERY winter for the 20 years or so prior to the start of the Covid pandemic, I would contract three or four nasty colds (never flu – thanks to the annual jab) which would leave me with a persistent debilitating cough that would last for several weeks, invariably a month or longer, that I would only shake off after a course of steroids.

But since October 2019 I have been completely cold and cough free.
I suspect that this might well be due to frequent washing of hands and the wearing of a mask.

It would be interesting to know if anyone else has experienced the same thing.
Could it also be hand-washing and the wearing of masks has prevented the annual flu epidemic – with GPs reporting that cases this year are only about five per cent of the norm?

One thing is for certain, even when Covid has been brought und control, I will certainly continue washing my hands more frequently and will continue to wear a mask – at least during the winter months.

ROBERT READMAN
Norwich Avenue West, Bournemouth