Flu cases are skyrocketing in England, with NHS hospitals grappling with five times as many cases as last year. In Greater Manchester, the picture is also bleak.
Hospital admissions have surged two-and-a-half times in just 20 days. The majority of patients are being treated in Manchester and Trafford-based hospitals, with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust hospitals caring for 76 adult and five child patients as of December 15.
The current number of flu patients in hospital beds is significantly higher than any recent winter. And many people in the region are finding themselves asking if they have a nasty cold - or if it could be flu.
The Manchester Evening News has spoken to people who have been caught in that conundrum, and gathered advice from experts on how to find the answer.