Swine flu - are they not testing for it now?

[brokenrecord]

There have been some cases in DD's friend's brother's school, including the person he sits next to. DD's friend's brother now is at home with flu and taking Tamiflu, but the mum (my friend) has been told that they will no longer do swabs to test for sure if he has it.

DD's best friend shares bedroom with her brother and I am guessing may well be coming down with whatever he has before long. Any advice? I would prefer for DD not to get it if possible (New baby brother on ex's side, etc) but don't want to overreact. Any advice?

Oh, I didn't know they'd reversed the policy. Am in Argyll and we were tested shortly before they stopped testing.

If you go for testing, expect a nasal swab for babies, nasal and throat for children, both for adults + bloods.

Someone from NHS will ring you with your results, pretty quickly up here in Scotland, to say, 'You are positive' or 'Your child is positive'.

It was unpleasant for us. DD1 was hit fairly hard, ill for a fortnight (she is 6 and has dyspraxia and is tall but quite thin), but for the rest of us it wasn't as bad as seasonal flu. It hit my chest a bit, but a lot of stuff does because the last time I had seasonal flu I went back to work too soon and got pneumonia and spent about a week in hospital, also used to smoke a lot.

But I could still get online and definitely couldn't leave my bed last time I had seasonal flu.

'It is really confusing as advice is constantly changing and public information IMO has been handled really quite badly. '

Pacific they WAY cocked it up up here in some cases.

DD1 fell ill on a Saturday, the same day it broke out in Dunoon.

Sudden onset 39 degree temp, sore head, aching muscles/body, BAD cough.

DH took her to out of hours doc on Sunday. Had to go through this whole protocol with NHS24 to get the appointment and they obviously thought she could have swine flu, but it wasn't our competent GP but some lady I dunno who it was.

She said DD1 had a UTI.

Yah, right!

Let's just say that she still tested positive even about 10 days after that!

The following week to the day, DS, a baby fell ill. But that following Monday, instead, he went to our GP, who sent him for testing.

Got a call the next day that he was positive.

The rollercoaster comment is spot on! I think I'm finding it difficult as I know she's perhaps incubating chickenpox, which I was slightly nervous about anyway as she is a bit older (10) and it might be more severe. I could just pull her from school for a week on some pretext or other until we know if her best friend is or isn't going to come down with swine flu, but I am reluctant to overreact, and often when I try to change the course of events in this way it comes out worse in the end... too many decisions is doing my head in.

I can understand how worried you are! Just wishing you the best in spirit.

Arrggh, that they won't test anymore.

But she may NOT get it. There have been more than a few exposed who did not contract it.

Thanks for the good wishes... Will try to post next week and let you know how it panned out!

Not testing in london now unless the person has another chronic condition. There is so much of it about we are told to assume it's swine flu and offer tamiflu (although some people are sensibly declining as very few people are actually unwell, most just feel rough).

Pacific and expat - if you think the public info has been handled badly you should see what the professionals have to put up with. There are daily updates from several different sources, usually badly worded and ambiguous and keeping on top of the current plan is next to impossible with the increased work load and all the normal NHS stuff to keep on top of aswell.

My dh is a GP in Dunoon, (as expat knows ).

They had a different protocol to follow every day for about a week ..... health board kept changing their minds. Its been a nightmare from his point of view.

They are no longer testing here. We've been told there will be no more school closured either, but as the Glasgow schools go on holiday this Friday, that might well be why.

Yes, even the day our GP saw DS, the protocol was still up in the air. I phoned the hospital beforehand, and the receptionist immediately sent me to NHS24. She transferred me and I wound up answering all the same questions!

Then the nurse on NHS24 said, 'No, you're supposed to go to your GP,' and I said, 'No, he said they're doing it at hospital.'

She was clueless and thought Dunoon was near Inverness (despite having a Central Belt accent ) and then said she'd ask her manager and ring back. Luckily, by chance, our HV phoned and found out yes, it was all being done at hospital, but in a separate caravan.

I noticed a new algorithm out (dated yesterday)
here