BRITS struck down with the Aussie flu can get on the mend… by having sex, according to experts.
A study at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania has shown how the body’s immune system is boosted when having sex as it produces more Immunoglobulin A.
The antibody fights infection, and researchers say that those romping twice a week have a 30 per cent more of it in their body than those who aren’t having sex.
The Daily Star reports that exercise could also have a similar impact, as well as sleeping well and stimulating your mind by reading, according to researchers.
Having a massage can also reduce a stress hormone which has a negative impact on the immune system by 53 per cent, researchers at the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine in the US say.
The studies come as large parts of the nation are struck down with Aussie flu – also known as H3N2.
Public Health England revealed 1,649 people had been struck down with Aussie flu over the Christmas week, up almost half on the week before.
Symptoms of Aussie flu are similar to those caused by normal flu, but they are more severe. Here are some signs to look out for:
- Sore throat and cough
- Headache
- Fever
- Muscle ache
- Fatigue
- Runny nose and sneezing
Plymouth, Doncaster and Durham are Aussie flu hotspots while other parts of the country have no recorded outbreaks, according to a map compiled by the FluSurvey website.
MOST READ IN NEWS
Dartford is one of the last areas to have cases reported, with Essex, Teesside and Devon appearing to be among the worst-hit regions.
Dorchester in Dorset and the City of London as of January 6 were the only places where no one has yet reported an “influenza-like illness” – with churches even banning handshakes in an attempt to curb the spread of infection.
It relies on patients self-reporting so the true figure in each region is likely to be far higher.
UK under siege by sickness: what is Aussie flu?
The strain of flu is called H3N2, and public health expert Professor Robert Dingwall, from Nottingham Trent University, warned it was “almost inevitable” the winter bug will hit Britain this winter.
The number of flu deaths in Australia over their winter has not yet been released, but it’s thought to be the worst in years.
Earlier this year Aussie flu claimed its first victims in Ireland – as the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) revealed a number of people have already died from the virus.
Dr Kevin Kelleher, from the Health Protection department, told Independent.ie: “There have been a few deaths already… under 10 people have died so far this year.”
Some 4.5million people are thought to have been struck down by flu over the past week, according to the online tool FluSurvey.
One in four hospital cases of flu are thought to be patients battling the “Aussie strain”, with 17 people admitted to intensive care with the strain in the week before Christmas.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.