to think parents who refuse to let their children mix with my ds because he goes to a school closed for pig flu are idiots

[TheDullWitch]

DS1's school is closed because of pig flu, he's taking Tamiflu - although he has no symptoms whatsoever. The health advice is, he can go anywhere, mix with anyone. DS2 is going in every day to his different school. Even so friends have cancelled their visit because they're worried about catching it! The hysteria is ridiculous.

Is he taking Tamiflu even tho he has no symptoms??? Durely that is completely unnecessary and more unreasonable thatn the people the OP is berating.
I hope I and mine do catch it now while it is still in its mild form - far better to get it now than if it becomes more virulent in the autumn.

YANBU. Would they cancel if a couple of kids at the school had a cold and your children had no sypmtoms?

Rutyfruty -
I would not take DS round to catch flu - I don't think he would be likely to catch it! But I wouldn't worry about it either.

Crush - evidence please.

I'm afraid I think he should be in quarrentine and have no playdates. Its boring, but its better than people dying. I have a three week old baby and she would be at high risk of dying from swine flu. Surely its worth having no playdates for a week to prevent people dying.

Is there any possiblity that your son could use MSN or a webcam to chat to his friends.

YABU, swine flu has killed people.

Sorry ....

I'd probably avoid you too.

Nope, I wouldn't be coming round either. Why risk it for something unnecessary.
Is it still just Alleyns? We have friends at Dulwich

YABU

• the side effects of tamiflu have been well publicised, not much fun

• you don't really know your friends' circumstances

YANBU - If your DS doesn't have it your friends can't catch it from him!

Hysteria indeed. Would they have cancelled if your DS had been at school with people with 'normal' flu? Probably not and there is no evidence that this is any worse at the moment.

Well exactly Niecie, as the child in question doesn't actually have it, there is of course no question of anyone catching from him.

I think it's fine to be unhysterical when you are fit and healthy yourself or have never had proper flu.

My exh has just come back from Mexico and I kept our DSs away from him for seven days (he was also told to stay off work for a week).

I know he thinks I am overreacting BUT I am just recovering from a month long virus (sore throat and layringitis) and also had flu over the Christmas break so feel my immune system is low.

And he won't be knocking on my door offering to help if I do get ill.

It reminds me of people hinting I was overreacting when DSs were young - both prem and both got bronchiolitis followed by endless breathing difficulties/croup/chest infections.

If they had not experienced anything like that then how would they know really!!

Presumably the closur of the schools is a cautious measure designed to prevent spread.

I am the least hysterical swind flu avider that there is but I would not knowingly expose myself to someone who has a higher than normal chance of developing the flu. Refusing to go to the shop because you might catch something is hysteria. KNOWINGLY exposing yourself and other people to a risk is a little bit stupid I think. So I think YABU to say people are idiots. it's a play date - not a diplomatic conference they are cancelling.

Message withdrawn

Sorry- I'd be avoiding you if it was something as trivial as a playdate.

For starters noone can say at this point that catching it now will make you immune to the "more virulent" strain to come- to become more virulent, the virus has to mutate, possibly even combining proteins with another virus, so the immunity you would have to the first "milder" version might be just as valid as the normal immunity people have to the normal H1N1 flu. so you would have spent 4 or 5 days suffering for nothing, and possibly running your immune system further down, before catching the more virulent ie DIFFERENT! strain later on!

Secondly, whether it is likely to kill me or not, the thought of nursing 3 dcs, then my DH then my dad through it makes me hope it would! I wouldn't knowingly expose myself to a potential carrier, just for the sake of bravado and showing everyone that I'm so cool and non-hysterical that I laugh in the face of swine-flu. or something!

If they can slow spread of THIS strain, it follows that it will have less opportunity to gain a foothold in the community and therefore to combine with other viruses and mutate. There are good reasons for the contingencies in place, IMO

Dullwitch - we're near your 'hood, so lots of empathy to you. Hope it all turns out find and that lo gets over the Tamiflu quickly.

I can see why you're exasperated, given that, once your lo is sufficiently recovered from the Tamiflu, you'll be roaming across the spaces of London, and have been told that that is absolutely fine. You were under no instructions to limit contact with others, and I'm guessing you and your partner (if you have one,) are still at work. So, in a sense, it's only their knowledge of the school closure that has given rise to this situation ... .

However, I'd be inclined to cut them a little slack. It's the unknown, people try and limit risk with respect to their kids ... .

I quite liked QueenElizabeth's take.

YABU - Supposing your DS was incubating the virus and you had a friend round to play then they caught swine flu. Their school would then close causing massive inconvenience and spreading the virus further.

If the idea is that this virus should be contained than surely people at schools affected by the virus should not be going out of their way to have play dates/parties this week.

If the virus continues to be passed around the school will end up being closed for longer and your DS will suffer as he will miss a lot of school time.

Whilst most of us don't have to worry too much about the health implications of swine flu imagine how you would feel if you were pregnant. I certainly wouldn't want to catch it if I were pregnant or had a very young baby.

I do think its strange that schools are shut yet the children/staff at those schools are free to circulate. Surely that will make it harder to contain the virus.

hmmmm, I allowed my Dad to babysit last night (he teaches at one of the 'closed' schools)

The reason they are allowed out is because they don't have the flu. If they had it, they would be isolated. BUT THEY DON'T HAVE IT!

The people who have cancelled on us, saw us last Friday. We didn t have it then, they didn't catch it from us then, because we don't have it. If we had it, I would cancel them myself.

The only people who have got it are the immediate friends and cousins of the person who brought it back from holiday. My ds is not in the same class or even same year as those people.

I think yb a bit u.

If the shoe were on the other foot, it would be up to you to make that decision, however its not. Whether you agree with it or not, it's their decision and you shoudl support them.

Yes the media are going hysterical over this and aren;t particularly helpful , bit there you go thats the media for you.

Also it sounds as though your DS is not feeling well anywell, so itsounds like its best all round really

If your DS isn't in the same class or even year as the infected children he doesn't even come under the definition of 'close contact' on the NHS website and should even need to take the anti-virals.