Why it feels like everyone in Australia is sick right now!

Over the past few months, Australians have been asking the same weary question: why does it feel like everyone is sick? From workplaces to schools to family gatherings, it seems almost impossible to go a week without hearing about someone down with the flu, another struggling with Covid, or a child coughing from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The sense of constant illness has stretched across the nation, leaving many to wonder if there’s something unusual happening this year.

According to health experts, it isn’t just in people’s heads. Australia has been hit by a surge of overlapping viral infections, with influenza, Covid-19, RSV, and even the common cold all spreading at the same time. The result has been crowded GP clinics, longer waits at hospitals, and households where illness has rotated from one family member to the next without pause.

Epidemiologist Dr. Catherine Bennett from Deakin University explained that this year’s flu season behaved differently than usual. “The influenza season peaked later,” she noted, “lasting much longer than expected. We saw cases climb from late June, peaking around mid-August, and only slowly declining as spring arrived.” That late peak meant that while people expected winter illnesses to ease by early September, the flu clung on stubbornly, keeping infection levels unusually high well into October.

But influenza wasn’t the only culprit. “There are still people with Covid and RSV,” Dr. Bennett said. “It’s not just one virus. This overlap has kept people feeling like sickness is everywhere.” She pointed out that environmental factors like colder weather, changes in social behavior, and increased travel also played roles in sustaining high transmission levels.

The good news, according to experts, is that the worst appears to be over. Professor Peter Collignon, an epidemiologist at Australian National University, reassured the public that infection rates are trending downward. “Viruses never disappear completely,” he explained, “but we should see cases steadily drop by mid to late October as the warmer weather makes transmission harder.”

That doesn’t mean Covid is gone. New strains continue to emerge globally every few months. Yet Professor Collignon emphasized that there’s no current evidence to suggest the newer variants are more severe than what we’ve seen in recent years. “We’re just as vulnerable to other viruses like RSV or the flu as we are to Covid at this stage,” he said.

Health authorities continue to stress the same message they’ve been delivering for decades: stay home if you’re sick, avoid mixing with others while contagious, and if you must go out, wear a mask — especially if you live with or interact with people who have health vulnerabilities. “It’s simple advice,” Dr. Bennett added. “Don’t share illness around. That principle hasn’t changed in 5, 10, even 20 years.”

Vaccination remains one of the strongest defenses, but uptake has been dropping. Covid boosters and flu shots are recommended in March or April ahead of peak winter seasons, yet many Australians have skipped them this year. The latest Australian Respiratory Surveillance Report shows influenza vaccine coverage is at just 30.5 percent, significantly lower than in 2022 and 2023. Covid booster rates are also down, with fewer adults getting vaccinated in the last 12 months compared to the year prior.

The consequences of vaccine fatigue are visible in the numbers. In Queensland alone, 77,956 influenza cases have been recorded in 2025 so far, with 84 percent of those cases occurring in people who weren’t vaccinated. In New South Wales, cases have eased from “high” to “moderate,” yet more than 4,000 new infections were still reported in a single week in late September. Even the common cold has surged, with over 6,300 people in NSW struck down in one week alone.

Doctors on the frontlines are frustrated by the complacency. Dr. Philip Britton, an infectious disease physician at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, called it “tragic” to see children in intensive care with preventable illnesses. “We understand people are tired after the pandemic,” he said, “but as someone working in a hospital, I can tell you the consequences are heartbreaking. These are children who could have been protected.”

GP visits reflect the scale of the problem. Since late June, consultations for flu-like symptoms have been well above the five-year average. Even now, though numbers are beginning to ease, rates remain higher than what’s typical for this time of year. Queensland remains one of the hardest-hit states, with over 2,700 new flu infections reported in the final week of September alone.

For families and communities, the impact has been tangible. Parents have missed work while caring for sick children, businesses have operated short-staffed, and schools have faced waves of absenteeism. Even social gatherings have felt the strain, with many events canceled at the last minute due to illness spreading among guests.

So, why does it feel like everyone is sick? Because, in a sense, they are. With three major respiratory viruses peaking at the same time, combined with lower vaccination rates and a particularly long flu season, the perception has matched reality. Australians have faced an unusually relentless winter of illness.

The lesson, experts say, is to treat these illnesses with the seriousness they deserve. Covid may no longer be the crisis it once was, but it remains a risk alongside the flu, RSV, and other respiratory infections. Preventive measures are simple but powerful: get vaccinated, stay home when unwell, and respect the health of those around you.

As the weather warms, the worst of the wave will pass, and Australians can breathe easier again — literally. But the experience of 2025 should serve as a reminder: viruses don’t wait for convenience, and complacency carries consequences. If the last few months have shown anything, it’s that public health isn’t just an individual responsibility, but a collective one.

The coming summer promises some reprieve, but with another flu season always on the horizon, preparation remains key. Because while it might not feel like everyone is sick next year, whether that’s true will depend on the choices Australians make today.