Winter bugs

[CalamityK2]

My family have all had, presumably, the same bug over the past week or so.

However, it has presented itself in different ways with all of us.

My DS1 had a slightly runny bum.
My DS2 was sick once, and had a runny bum for a couple of days.
My partner had explosive sickness and diarrhoea for an entire night.
I had sickness, no diarrhoea but flu-like symptoms for one night.


Why can the "same" infection affect us all so differently?

(Sorry for TMI, btw but genuinely interested in replies!)

[nigella]

everyone's immune system is different and is capable of fighting off various infections at different rates with a varying degree of symptoms. it would depend on the anti-bodies produced from the last encounter with the same virus. if a person has had the same virus before, the body recognises it faster and starts fighting it sooner than that of a person who has not been infected before. Hope this makes sense! all the best x

[Zeddy]

It will also be "mutating" as it goes through each person's system before being passed on.