Topic: Is anyone worried about swine flu?

[Ishard]

Weeeeell actually Chris washing hands is a major way to stop you getting a cold or flu. Ex nurse here ;)

[chriscross1966]

Weeeeell actually Chris washing hands is a major way to stop you getting a cold or flu. Ex nurse here ;)

Only if you sneeze on them ..... rhinovirus and influenza H1 strains last about 10 seconds on human skin if they're in direct contact, the normal bacteria that live on our skin will see them off..... My prediction for the likely outcome is that we'll see fewer people with food poisoning but it will make not a bit of difference to the flu..... biology graduate here, three months of genetics playing with salmonella, you soon lear to wash your hands properly doing that  :-X
More to the point people are confusing bacteria and viruses again..... I expect they're demanding antibiotics for every little sniffle...

chrisc

chrisc

[Justy]

Ok even I admit my little panic is over. Looks like things are getting better in Mexico. Quote from the bbc website: "Globally more than 700 people are known to be infected."  Out of a population of 6 billion. Not sure it is really news anymore. 

Having said that I would still rather the powers that be jump up and overreact than do nothing.  If it had turned out to kill millions of people then we would all be saying why the hell didn't someone do something. They are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

[DenBee]

Having said that I would still rather the powers that be jump up and overreact than do nothing.  If it had turned out to kill millions of people then we would all be saying why the hell didn't someone do something. They are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

I agree - if nothing else, it's good practice for the authorities.  In my region of the NHS, there's been a lot of activity regarding this.  Plus it also gives exta ammunition to our base's infection control lead, who in the past few months, every time she went to a meeting/training session, came back saying "We're overdue for a pandemic - it's going to happen you know".  :D

[JIS]

I'm in hong kong at the moment, office is literally next door to the hotel where the guy died on friday. coming back to the uk and will be on the plot on tuesday - be sure to say hi  ;D



 :-X

[chriscross1966]

I'm in hong kong at the moment, office is literally next door to the hotel where the guy died on friday. coming back to the uk and will be on the plot on tuesday - be sure to say hi  ;D



 :-X

See you there then

:D

[Baaaaaaaa]

Ain't pigs supposed to be intelligent ?

If so why can't they develop their own flu remedy?

[Justy]

Swine flu has arrived in my village......

The brother of a girl in my son's class has come home from Mexico with swine flu!  Luckily the girl has not been into school all week since he arrived home and the men in white boiler suits have been and quarantined the whole family.

Apparently the school are sending home a letter tomorrow to say that the health authority have advised no action for the children at the moment.  I am pleased we have half term next week which should hopefully act as a bit of a 'fire break' for any potential spreading.

Still a bit worrying though - especially after my little panicky freak out a few weeks ago!     :(

[cleo]

How many have died in America?-Check that against how many die from bog standard flu every year and it adds some perspective

[Justy]

I know, I really do and I am normally a rational, level headed person  :) but it is a bit scary when you know it is as close as your child's class.

[Kea]

So apparently the case in my local area is a 'sporadic' one. Which they say means the person in question has not been in contact with anyone known to have swine flu or to have recently travelled to/from Mexico. So it just occurred randomly in the middle of an outbreak of swine flu?

[Justy]

Well - I am off to Florida tomorrow and the whole swine flu thing is back in the news. Have to confess to feeling pretty stressed about it (particularly as I have a mum with 'underlying health issues'). Combined with my fear of flying I wish I was staying at home!

[chriscross1966]

At the moment the morbidity and mortality rates seem to be lower than run-of-the-mill flu (proper influenza, not just a bad cold) and the people it's carrying off are pretty typical for the average flu victim too.... It's flu, it kills people......

chrisc

[BarriedaleNick]

Not bothered here.  I work at one of the first schools to shut in the UK with Swine Flu.  Press and cameras everywhere- mass panic - everyone being really sick after taking tamiflu.  In fact the Tamiflu was worse than the swine flu as those that had the flu were better by the time they were officially diagnosed.  

Normal flu deaths are around 12,000 a year so until this mutates again Im not that bothered..

[labrat]

If the media reported seasonal influenza every year the way they have with swine flu they would have everyone in a state of panic and nervous wrecks. As everyone says seasonal influenza kills thousands every year.

My only concern is that the idiotic, witless politicians are messing around with the regulatory approval system to get a vaccine passed in only 5 days. If that actually happens and they intend to inoculate the whole country then there will be no chance in hell that I will allow anyone to inject me with something so poorly examined (pharmaceutical researcher here). It may sound harsh but the process of regulatory approval must be conducted at a normal pace and in a thorough manner regardless of any deaths that occur in the meantime (swine flu is already beyond containment so increasing number of infections is an inevitability regardless of fast tracking approval).

[OllieC]

Suspected case in my daughter's nursery... Can't do much to avoid it if it is, and anyway it's better to get exposed early on, before the NHS gets overloaded in the winter & before it combines with bird flu.

[caroline7758]

I must admit tobeing more worried nowthan previously, for two reasons:

1. The sister of someone at my place of work has swine flu, so it feels close and
2. Yes, lots of people die of flu every year, but not young people and children-that's scary as a mum.  :(

[littlebabybird]

if you ring your dr (in my part of surrey)for an appointment, with a temp and a sore throat you will be diagnosed with swine flu and the whole family will be quarantined for 1 week.
lbb

[SamLouise]

The hot line people diagnosed my son with swine flu and gave him a code which we had to take to a hospital in the next town ...

... gets to hospital, cleaner says, "you here for tamiflu?". Affirmative. She points us in the direction of another grey building with two great big guys in black suits standing guard like something out of men in black.
"Please stop. Are you visiting anybody tonight?" Negative. "Are you here for tamiflu?" Affirmative. "We are closed, your next nearest point is Leyton Orient football ground"

So we head off to murderville and get there about 8pm. Pharmacist asks for ID so I show him. I need your son's ID he says. I don't have it, I said. Can't give you the stuff without it, he says. But we have the same surname and I can prove our address which will match your records, I wail. Like to help but I can't, he says. But I've come all the way from ***** (30 odd miles) I bellow. Sorry, nothing I can do, he says. So we b**ger off back home without it.

<insert several nasty frustrated swear words in here>

Edit - and the most annoying thing about it all is how my son doesn't seem to have swine flu at all!

[Busby]

We are allowing ourselves to be misused by the pharmaceutical industries which surround us.