Guys really do get it worse! (From The Times – December 15th)

Men are frequently lambasted as wimps when they catch a virus – the so called “man flu”- because they complain so much about their symptoms. According to a scientific study carried out by investigators at Royal Holloway, University of London, men do actually suffer more than women when they have a cold. Researchers say that they are not just a bunch of mummy’s boys, after all.

According to biologist Dr Francisco Ubeda, viruses prefer women because they are more social than men and therefore more useful to them. Women “spread viruses through social contact, breastfeeding and childbirth”. That means women are a far better survival bet for a virus than a man. As a result, they tone down the worst symptoms in women, leaving men to suffer. We knew it all along!

We can now regard Man Flu as scientifically proven. A senior researcher, currently based in Swindon, says that the right course is “for women to provide sympathy, hot toddies and masses of T.L.C.” (citation needed)