If you live in the UK— or frankly, anywhere in the Western world— you’ve probably noticed it by now.
The headlines.
The panic.
The constant warnings.
I recently made a video which I’ll link above. I’ve seen similar hysteria over the last couple of months in the USA— albeit what’s happening right now in the UK takes the biscuit, and Americans should be ready for the media ramping things up here soon as well.
This is of course nothing new.
Every winter, like clockwork, the media dusts off the same script and turns seasonal respiratory illness into an existential crisis.
Apparently, we’re facing “an unprecedented surge in influenza”— a challenge to the NHS (UK health system) “unlike any since the pandemic.”
Yes, really.
I recently read a BBC article making exactly that comparison— flu vs. the pandemic (with of course a call for more public masking)—and I want to break down what’s actually going on here, because there’s far more fear than context, and far more drama than data.
Here Are Some Recent Headlines
Let’s Start With the Fear
The series of articles in the mainstream media lead with language designed to do one thing extremely well: make people anxious.
Words like “unprecedented,” “on the brink,” “about to collapse,” and “unlike anything we’ve seen before” are scattered everywhere.
But of course it’s hyperbole. Because, let’s take the BBC article. Buried a few paragraphs later— comes the quiet admission:
Current records only go back to 2021.
So when they say “the worst flu season on record,” what they really mean is “the worst since 2021.”
2021!!
That conveniently excludes 2014 and 2017, which were objectively terrible flu seasons by the article’s admission.
This kind of framing isn’t accidental. We saw it relentlessly during the pandemic, and it works— fear drives clicks, compliance, and attention. On a more tragic note, it drives despair and hopelessness in young and old alike— some people of course being more prone than others.
But here’s the inconvenient truth:
Every single winter, hospitals come under pressure.
Every single winter, flu circulates.
Every single winter, we get headlines declaring crisis, especially in the UK.
I went back 10 years by googling “winter NHS flu crisis 2016/17/18 etc”.
This is not new.
It never was.
What is new is how aggressively fear is being amplified this year.
Flu Has Always Been With Us
There appears to be a particular emphasis this year on shutting schools (I bet students love that).
But we all know it’s completely normal for winter illnesses to sweep through schools.
I actually have a historical book published by the school in my village detailing important events from the last 100 years.
They always noted every winter dating back to the turn of the last century:
“Several children absent with influenza.”
It was understood as part of winter life— not something requiring panic, shutdowns, or hysterical headlines.
Somehow, we’ve lost that historical memory.
Flu didn’t suddenly appear in 2025.
It didn’t mutate into something mythical.
And it certainly didn’t start existing after the pandemic.
Let’s leave aside for a moment what happened to influenza during the pandemic, while everyone’s attention was diverted?
Testing, Optics, and Context (That No One Mentions)
Another detail missing from the coverage?
Testing.
Flu tests are now easier and more widely used than ever before. If you test more people— including children— you will inevitably find more positive results.
And here’s something rarely discussed:
A large proportion of influenza infections are asymptomatic.
Many people carry the virus without becoming ill because their immune system handles it effectively. Studies have been done showing that if you take a large group of random people in the winter and swab them— a fair percentage will test positive for the flu and not even know it! This was reality before the medical establishment went completely bonkers in 2020 and decided it’s a good idea to test people with no symptoms.
So rising “case numbers” don’t automatically mean rising severe illness— but headlines rarely bother with that distinction.
Who Is Actually Most Affected?
Even the BBC article itself admits this:
The sickest patients are overwhelmingly over the age of 80 and those with underlying comorbidities.
That’s not surprising.
It never has been.
Which brings us to the most glaring omission of all.
The Elephant in the Room: Metabolic Health
Not once— not even briefly— does the mainstream media mention the metabolic health of the population and the current catastrophe of poor health secondary to lifestyle.
This is astonishing.
The UK is rapidly approaching the same metabolic cliff as the US:
Rising obesity
Rising insulin resistance
Rising diabetes
Declining muscle mass
Worsening immune resilience
Excess body fat is a direct immune suppressant.
Poor metabolic health makes any infection harder to deal with.
Doctors have known this for generations.
Yet instead of encouraging people to:
Improve fitness
Build muscle
Reduce ultra-processed food
Cut excess sugar
Walk daily
Get sunlight
Sleep properly
Reduce chronic stress
…the conversation skips straight to fear and pharmaceuticals.
Of course this article at the end urged people to get the Flu shot (but wait, haven’t most people admitted to hospital already had that?)
Why?
Because lifestyle change is deemed too hard and non-profitable.
Because they assume that someone over 75 can’t do anything else for themselves apart from being injected.
Because it doesn’t generate headlines.
And because it doesn’t fit neatly into a 10-second soundbite.
The Flu Shot Conversation (Let’s Be Honest)
Which brings us to the only solution repeatedly offered by the mainstream media.
The flu shot.
Let me be very clear here.
I am not telling anyone what they should or shouldn’t do.
The last couple of years I personally made the decision to decline the flu shot based on exceedingly weak evidence I’ve seen. I’ve talked about that decision before in this video.
At the same time, many close family members of mine have chosen to take it.
That’s perfectly reasonable.
It is a personal choice like any medical intervention.
But here’s the issue:
By no stretch of the imagination is the Flu shot a “magic bullet.”
It never was.
And yet, the media presents it as if it’s the only line of defense— which simply isn’t true.
What Actually Makes Sense
Instead of panic, here’s what does make sense— especially for more vulnerable individuals:
Avoid close contact with people who are clearly unwell
Prioritize rest and recovery if you feel run down
Be extra cautious if you have insulin resistance or obesity
Be extra cautious if you have underlying lung or heart conditions
Be as active as you can including in winter
Maximize antioxidants and natural immune support compounds— whether through food or supplements
Make sure you supplement with vitamin D3 (and K2 to support its effects)
Focus on strengthening your body year-round, including in winter (dumbbells!)
Reduce sugar and ultra-processed foods. And don’t let yourself go too much during the holidays!
Devote 30 minutes a day to something that relaxes you
Stay social and avoid isolation (with company you enjoy—even online!)
None of this is dramatic.
None of it generates headlines.
But it works. And you’ll never see the mainstream media promote the above. I wonder why.
The Bigger Picture
What frustrates me most isn’t flu itself.
It’s the relentless escalation of fear.
We now have large segments of the population conditioned to believe that:
Winter illness is abnormal
Hospitals should never be under pressure
Fear is the appropriate default response
That’s not resilience.
That’s not health.
And it’s not sustainable.
Respiratory viruses circulate in winter.
They always have.
They always will.
The solution isn’t panic.
It’s context, common sense, and stronger bodies.
Final Thought
I hope— genuinely— that the pendulum swings back toward sanity.
Toward empowering people rather than frightening them.
Toward health rather than hysteria.
Toward resilience instead of dependency.
Toward full transparency regarding the effectiveness of medical interventions like the flu shot.
Until then, continue to question the headlines.
Look beyond the fear.
And focus on what actually strengthens you.
