Apologies...probably not happening any time soon.

Almost every time someone - let's be honest, some man - in the office takes a few days off due to a cold or flu like bug the same things are always said.

"It's only man flu" is the start and the comments proceed downhill from there. You very rarely hear the reverse, men commenting on the time off women have. It just doesn't happen.

But I saw this article on the BBC the other day.

In brief:

Men really do have an excuse for supposedly being wimpy about coughs and colds - their immune systems are not as strong as women's, research suggests.

A Canadian study indicates that the female sex hormone oestrogen gives women's immune systems added bite

And while I would quibble with the word "wimpy" in this context (if you're actualy suffering more how is that wimpy? If you were suffering less and complaining more, that's wimpy.) what it says is clear - all else being equal, a man will suffer more while suffering from the same infection.

Well, till the next study comes out saying the reverse. But for the moment, we have clear evidence that "man flu" is no laughing matter.

Think we'll get an appology gentlemen?

I doubt it...