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Original poster

Swine Flu ....should we panic ..

112 replies

Iworryalot · 13/07/2009 15:33

Another GP and a child i just heard on the radio have died from swine flu ....should we be worried ....

I am , i suffer with Anxiety at best of times now this is sending me crazy.....

anyone els ?

OP posts:
wannaBe · 13/07/2009 16:24

I think we need to keep perspective.

People die of seasonal flu every year and no-one panics.

here
is the news story re the gp and the 6 yo. The gp's death is being referred to the corinner so not proven to have died of swine flu as yet. But eve if he did, the number of people in the UK who have died is 17, out of tens of thousands of people infected. And of those seventeen, only three appear to not have had other illnesses.

Closing schools/companies/going home as soon as you hear of someone local to you catching the illness is simply not realistic unless you have an underlying health condition that puts you at greater risk.

If we close every school when a child becomes infected, or every company the country will grind to a halt, and in a time of economic crisis that can only do more harm than good.

It's also worth bearing in mind that most of the "confirmed" cases now aren't being confirmed on the basis of a positive test, but merely on the basis of a call to the gp and reporting symptoms.

Nemoandthefishes · 13/07/2009 16:29

agree wannabe
As I say dd2 has a flu told by locum gp over phone its likely to be swine flu and by default that ds must have had swine flu when he was ill last week

CrushWithEyeliner · 13/07/2009 16:31

But it is going to mutate and get worse isn't it?

Original poster
Iworryalot · 13/07/2009 16:32

do people die from normal flu each year ?
what are the symptome of swien flu ?
and also what would you class an underlining illness ?

OP posts:
Original poster
Iworryalot · 13/07/2009 16:33

do people die from normal flu each year ?
what are the symptome of swien flu ?
and also what would you class an underlining illness ?

OP posts:
wannaBe · 13/07/2009 16:34

I was told by a pharmacist this morning that if you have two or more symptoms they will diagnose you with swine flu.

I have a hideous cold at the moment. Feel rough as hell actually. But I'm working on the basis that if it were flu I wouldn't be able to crawl from my bed to pick up a £20 note, and given that I am able to do that (and was able to do the school run and have been on mn), it's just a cold.

What is the point of adding names to a list of statistics based on a possibility. It's just increasing the panic by saying that x more people have been diagnosed when actually that's not true and is just based on gp's surmising.

Original poster
Iworryalot · 13/07/2009 16:34

it will get worse till weve all had it wont it ? and as it seems to effect everyone differently deaths will increase im sure ...]sad]

OP posts:
Original poster
Iworryalot · 13/07/2009 16:36

oh so people pretending to have is to get the vaccine ?

OP posts:
LovelyRitaMeterMaid · 13/07/2009 16:36

I don't know how many people due from "normal" flu each year but it is quite a few.

What I am wondering is if you get swine flu now, does this mean you won't get it again? Or if it does mutate would that not be the case?

wannaBe · 13/07/2009 16:38

crush it may mutate, it may not. The reality is that nobody knows.

The reality is also that the more people that catch it now while it is still mild, the less people will be at risk if it becomes more dangerous, because people will have built up an immunity. So the best time to catch it is actually now.

Worry - yes, thousands of people die from normal flu every year. In fact the same number of people die from ordinary flu every year as have been dying of swine flu, that is approx 0.4% of those that catch it.

An underlying illness would be something like breathing difficulties, a heart condition, asthma, people who are immuno suppressed such as those who have had transplants or those who have compromised immune systems due to treatments such as chemotherapy.

It goes without saying that there is a group of people who are at greater risk from catching any kind of flu.

AcademicMum · 13/07/2009 16:38

People do die of normal flu each year. The thing is this is approx. 0.1% of all the people who catch it. However, cases of normal flu (as opposed to a bad cold) are only very small (I think

CrushWithEyeliner · 13/07/2009 16:41

It is very worrying to me

Original poster
Iworryalot · 13/07/2009 16:42

the whole thing is i think ...i want to move countries ...
its like a bad film ...
sorry am i being over dramatic ?

OP posts:
wannaBe · 13/07/2009 16:43

but if you catch it now you will build an immunity to it - even if it mutates. Someone explained it on a different thread, its to do with certain common components of the virus remaining the same, hence why a vaccination will still remain effective even if the virus mutates.

So the best time to catch it is now.

Worry no people aren't claiming to have it just to get the vaccine. But the diagnostic process has changed, in that whereas before people had to be tested to confirm the virus, now if you have two or more symptoms you are declared as having the virus. So it's actually possible that a lot less people actually have the virus than have been reported to have it iyswim.

wannaBe · 13/07/2009 16:43

and where will you move to? There aren't any countries that don't have it.

Original poster
Iworryalot · 13/07/2009 16:44

sure i get it now thanks wannabe ..

OP posts:
JudyBlume1019 · 13/07/2009 16:45

Excellent, a worriers thread, I'm right at home here. I've been really worried, then this morning was told (over the phone ) that dd has it! Have tamiflu but not sure whether to use it as not 100% convinced she has it and it doesn't sound too pleasant, causes sickness etc.

Agree with you wannanbe, They diagnosed dd with it on the basis of her having a fever, but at the time I called, there were no other symptoms

LovelyRitaMeterMaid · 13/07/2009 16:46

Maybe I should "hope" DS does get it now then. And gives it to the rest of us.

AcademicMum · 13/07/2009 16:46

You won't necessarily be immune if it mutates though. No-one knows this as it depends on how it mutates. Chances are you may have some cross immunity but not complete immunity. This is also the reason why it is spreading fastest in those aged 20 and below (those who lived through previous flu pandemics are more likely to have a bit of cross immunity, but again not complete immunity).

JudyBlume1019 · 13/07/2009 16:46

I also have a 14 week old baby. very frightening

Original poster
Iworryalot · 13/07/2009 16:47

iv no idea , but was just a silly thought....of worry and panic ..
right must cook kids tea they are nawing at my ankles now ..will look back later ..im sure this thread will go on for a while yet ..

OP posts:
AcademicMum · 13/07/2009 16:48

BTW, if you're wanting to move countries, I think iceland only has 1 case so far. Seems like a good bet to me .

Alittlebitrestless · 13/07/2009 16:48

Try and take comfort from the fact that it hasn't mutated yet and a vaccine should be available soon. in many ways we are fortunate to be in this country seeing as the govt has ordered vaccines and stockpiled tamiflu. Health service is not perfect but better than lots.

LIZS · 13/07/2009 16:50

It is worrying but at the same time I can't help wondering how much currently is a form of hysteria ie. people jumping to that conclusion when they actually have a normal cold especially now the authorities aren't swabbing as comprehensively.

CrushWithEyeliner · 13/07/2009 16:50

will the vaccine be for little ones too though? and such a quickly put together vaccine, it won't exactly be tried and tested will it?

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